


Mermaids of the Deep

by SailorHexGirl



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Banishment, Companions, Curses, Elementals, F/F, Family, Heart Break, Heartofthesea, I Don't Even Know, I'm Bad At Tagging, Mergems, Mermaids, Past War, Shapeshifting, Sirens, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 70,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24243202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorHexGirl/pseuds/SailorHexGirl
Summary: Rose was in tune with the sea and the beings that dwelled below its surface. When she passed away she leaves many questions for her son. Now that Steven is older he wants to meet the people his mother was close with. There are many challenges for him to face including the trust that has been severed between his family and the ones who live in the sea. With the help of his best friend Connie, Steven believes he can fix the bridge that was burned so long ago.
Relationships: Blue Diamond/Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Jasper/Pearl (Steven Universe), Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IIIIIIIII Don't know what I'm doing with this completely but I'm just going for it. Most stuff in this, I.E the lure and rules I'm making up as I go but I'm trying to keep the sea and geologically correct as I possibly can. Hope you all like it!

"How many of them are there?" Steven asked his dad.

"I'm not sure bud. I know theirs at-least eight." Greg answered his son. "Well at-least eight that your mother talked about."

  
Currently Greg was leading Steven far past the cliff the old light house in there town sat upon. He had only been this way two other times but it was hard to forget the place you first learned of magic. Steven himself was bouncing on his toes. He was excited to meet the people from his fathers stories and the books and letters his mom left him. He had always had an incline towards the non-human of the world so much that his best friend herself was a shapeshifter. Now after years of begging and story telling he was finally being taken to meet the creatures his mother adored.

  
"Do you think they will like me?" Steven asked.

  
"Well, its hard to say bud." Greg answered holding the box in his hands more firmly "Last time I was here they didn't exactly take too kindly to Rose not being with me."

  
"Do they know mom is gone?" Steven asked as they reached a giant pail of boulders and rocks. They looked like they all, at one point, held up a tall cliff side. Now they just rested in a giant land slid of a pail leading from a point in the once great hillside down into the waters of the sea.

  
Greg didn't answer. He knew if they did know, they didn't want to except it. If they had, then this was going to be a very bad idea. Last time Greg came here it was when Steven was about a year old. They didn't like what Greg had said about Rose and didn't hear anything else he had said about her passing before trying to drown him and his son. That caused him to keep them both away from the place they were going and Steven out of the sea, but living in a beach side town, that didn't last long. 

  
Greg helped Steven half way up the massive rocks and boulders before stopping and looking around. After a few minutes of searching he found what he was looking for, an opening. It was a gap in the rocks that was very well hidden unless you knew where to look. Greg lead Seven over to the hole and was trying to tell him things as he helped him threw. "Now Stew-ball, when we meet them you need-"

  
"Wooooow!" Steven's excitement bounced all around them.

  
As they went into the opening they came to the top of a hidden lagoon. A long ramp of rocks curved around the lagoon walls and led down to a small little beach of sand and pebbles that was maby big enough for Steven to sit on with Connie, his best friend, if they sat shoulder to shoulder. There were groups of rocks in the water here and there. Some popped out of the water while others laid just enough under the surface to be sat on them while still being mostly submerged in the clear water poring in from the sea. There was cracks and holes in the rocks above them that cast beams of light down into the water. The light lit up the rocks that were submerged and made it look like a rainbow was trapped in its waves.

  
"Is this the place?" Steven asked as they both made there way down the rock ramp to the small shore.

  
"Yup. Do you have the shells?" Greg asked.

  
Steven held up the box and he told him good job. Greg had Steven go and sit high up on the back rocks of the lagoon as he set the box in his hands on a few rocks a bit out into the water. The box itself was full of old shirts. Some were big while others were small. There was even and old band t-shirt that was cut half way up thrown in there somewhere. Steven had asked why they needed them but his dad just smiled. After coming back to the sand Greg took the box Steven brought and pulled a few shells out. They were the shiny kind you would get at a nick-knack store for tourists. He placed the shells in a line in the water a bit further from the shore then the box of shirts. They were out just enough that there reflections from the sun made them look like glowing orbs. After everything was set up Greg brought the remaining two shells up to Steven. He moved his son to the edge of the lagoon where the flattest rocks were.

  
After Greg mentally prepared himself the best he could he picked up one of the two shells left in the box. "Ready Steven?'

  
"Ready!"

  
With a nod Greg took the shell and blew into it. It wasn't in instrument by any means, not even one meant to look like a fancy shell flute. It was a spiral shell that something like a big hermit crab mite wear if it was on drugs or something. It wasn't impressive by any means either. A simple pale pink color with different colored circles across it surface. Kinda like a drop of ink on wet paper. It had always fit nicely in his sons hands and Steven had always liked so Greg had no issue with him keeping it in his room. 

  
After a few minutes of nothing happening Greg blew into the shell again. The sound of wind was the only thing coming threw the lagoon with the faint sound of the ocean waves on the shore.

  
"Did it work?" Steven asked leaning forward a little bit to look into the water.

  
"I don't think so." Greg said looking at the shell "Maby I'm doing it wrong."

  
"Can I try?"

  
"Sure."

  
Steven had stars in his eyes as Greg handed him the shell. He was trying to explain how to blow into the shell and the sound it will make when done right when the sweetest note filled the air. It bounced off the walls and seemed to fill the water. The look on Steven's face was that of pure excitement when he realized he did it right.

  
"Uh, nice going Steven." Greg said surprised.

  
"What happens now?" Steven asked holding the shell tight to his chest.

  
"We wait." Greg answered.

  
"What?"

  
"We wait." Greg repeated sitting back and crossing his legs. "We- well you- sent out the call and now we wait to see if they will come."

  
"Will they?" Steven asked sitting back next to his dad.

  
Greg shrugged as he looks out to the far side of the lagoon. The waves from the ocean passed threw a slim opening of rock, gently raising to cover the long hole and back down to reveal it. "They are very wary of beings not like them. Even more so of humans."

  
"What are they exactly?" Steven asked.

  
"Think that's something you should ask them."

  
"If they come?"

  
"Yup."

  
"What are the shells for anyway?" Steven asked after about twenty minutes of them sitting there quietly. His eyes were watching them shimmer in the water.

  
"There offerings."

  
"Offerings?"

"Well, we are calling them from the deep-"

  
Before Greg could finish his thought a shimmer in the water caught there eyes. They both looked intensely at the cave opening. The head of a figure came out of the water just past where the shimmer had been. Blue hair and a pair of deep blue eyes sitting just above the water looked at the pair on the rocks from far away. It was far enough that Steven couldn't tell if the figure was blue or just too far away and blending into the water flowing in. Just as quickly as the figure appeared it disappeared. The only indication it was there was the small ripple working its way across the waters surface. Soon the sound of something getting wet had the pair turning to see one of the shirts sinking into the water.

  
Steven went to open his mouth but another shimmer caught his eye. Then another, and another. Several shimmers shot threw the opening and into the waters of the lagoon. Steven and Greg watched the water surface as the figures swam below it. Some were big while others were small. A few were long and a few were short. Steven had a hard time keeping track of them all but he did count eight of them, just like his dad said. They all seemed to move around the rocks in the center of the lagoon, where the water was deepest, but made no indication to move closer.

  
"What are they doing?" Steven whispered.

  
As if the figures could hear him there shimmering forms sunk down into the water until they disappeared into one of the few patches of darkness in the lagoon.

  
"Oh!" Steven said raising his hands "I'm sorry!"

"Steven-"

  
"I didn't mean to scare you!"

  
Steven's voice echoed off the walls. After feeling like he messed up, and going to apologize again, the same head as before popped up out of the water. It was closer this time, just on the other side of the rocks the figures were all just swimming around. This time however there eyes were narrow and seemed to be staring the two of them down.

  
"Uh Steven." Greg said softly as the figure seemed to move a bit in the water before disappearing again. "Try not to shout at them bud."

  
"Does it scare them? I didn't mean too!"

  
"I know. Your mother said they tend to spook easy and loud noises hurt there ears."

  
Steven nodded and they went back to watching the water. Sitting for a bit more they saw a shimmer closer to the shore. They watched intensely as a small round figure came up to one of the shells Greg put in the water. It seemed to go between the blue and pink one before grabbing the purple shell and swimming back away. Steven watched as the figure swam back towards the dark water of the rocks before stopping and turning around. The figure swam over to the box of shirts and grabbed a handful before pulling them into the water and swimming back to the dark waters.

  
"It took a shell and some shirts." Steven said looking at his dad for only a moment. "Is that a good thing?"

  
"Yes and no." Greg said rubbing the back of his neck for a moment "It means at least one of them has excepted our call by taking the shell and is willing to hear us out on why we called them in the first place. The shirts are another gift. The fact that they grabbed a bunch means that there giving the others the option to come talk to us if they want, though they don't have too."

  
"Do they want to talk to us?" Steven asked.

  
"Not all of us."

  
Steven and Greg turned back to the water to see the figure of a girl. She was wearing the cut band shirt on her frame. The white fabric drew attention to the fact that she was blue head to toe (so Steven assumed since her bottom half was still on the water.) The girl was leaning on a rock that was half way between them and the center ones in the lagoon. Her short blue hair stuck to the sides of her face as her eyes seemed to look threw the pair.

  
"I thought we told you not to come back without Rose." The girl said.

  
"Lapis, we've had this talk before." Greg said looking at the girl before looking down at the water "Rose is gone." he looked up and pointed at her "And trying to drown me again won't change that so lets skip that part."

  
"Your lying!" Lapis shouted holding herself up on her hands out of the water so much that Steven could see a shimmering line around her waist before she sunk back down into the water again. "It can't be true. She's the only one who knows how to call us... You can't do it!"

  
"I didn't call you! Well, I tried, but it didn't work and-"

  
"I did." Steven said catching the girls attention "Mom had left me this shell and a note on how to use it." Steven said holding the shell up for Lapis to see, who recoiled a bit at the sight "I'm sorry if we made you upset but dad's told me a lot of stories about you guys from the few times he met you and mom left me a bunch of letters and books she wrote on you all and and-" As Steven talked he noticed that other heads popped out of the water near the box with a figure around the remaining submerged shells. Three heads had popped up on the farthest out cropping of rocks while two appeared to his left but closer to Lapis on some of the rocks submerged. Some of them were a variety of colors while others looked relatively normal. "I'm sorry. My mom, Rose, is gone. She died when she had me. I'm sorry you miss her, I know she cared a lot about you all. She spoke of you in her writings a lot."

  
"She wrote about us?" One of the figures near the shells said while another was poking around the shirts. "What did she say?"

  
"Ruby." Lapis snapped at the red girl who spoke.

  
"Aww don't be hard on her." The one poking around the shirts said as one of the figures to the left hissed for a moment at the blue girl, her own blue skin lighter and the color of ice.

  
"Who are you anyway?" Lapis said looking at Steven. "How do we know your the child of Rose?"

  
"My name is Steven." Steven said "And the note my mom left with this shell said only those who believe in the magic of the sea can call those who guard its heart from the deep."

  
Lapis frowned and looked at Greg as a green figure swam away from the two who spoke earlier and to her side "He doesn't look like a caller. He isn't even marked."

  
"Oh you mean this?" Steven spoke before Greg could say anything. The boy lifted his shirt to reveal a dark scar right over his belly button "Dad said I got this birth mark from mom. She had the same one."

  
A clicking sound filled the air and a few head turned to the farthest group. Three figures were sitting on a submerged pail of rocks, the water coming just up to the collar bones of the smaller two while the bigger one had the water just barley covering her chest, if it wasn't for her long hair she would be on full display for all to see. One of the figures was clicking there tongue while one of them disappeared into the water. The one who was the biggest was barring there teeth and seemed to lean close to the one clicking.

  
"No way!" The figure who defended the red girl said. Herself was purple like her long flowing hair. She swam over to the pair on the rocks as Lapis lowered herself back into the water and came around the rock. Both of them come right up to the rock Steven and Greg were on but the purple girl was the one who grabbed hold and pulled herself part way out of the water, leaning on her folded arms, with one of the shirts sticking to her form. "Rose had the same thing! You are her kid!"

  
"That marking means nothing." Lapis hissed.

  
"He is her blood line." The green girl said swimming over to the pair and coming up to the purple girls side but not coming out of the water "I can smell her blood line in his veins. Also, he uses the same flowery soap for his hair as she did."

  
"The smell of roses and violets is great." Steven said with a smile. "So whats your names?"

  
"I'm Amethyst." The purple girl said "This is Peridot. The red one is Ruby. The two sitting alone are Sapphire and Garnet. The big one back there is Jasper. The one clicking is Pearl and.... where did she-oh the other blue one is, well, Blue." Amethyst pointed out each person as she spoke, the last girl popping up where Lapis had first emerged to speak to them.

  
"What are you?" Steven asked before raising his hands again "I'm sorry! I forgot I need to ask you first if I can ask a question!"

  
Amethyst didn't look angry like Lapis or surprised like Peridot. Instead she laughed "Its ok, I'll let it go this first time since its such a funny question. Your mom never left you anything to tell you what we are?"

  
Steven shook his head and Greg spoke up "She said it was a bad almond to write it down."

  
"She's right." Peridot said "You write what we are down on living paper and a curse of the sea is put upon your head."

  
"Curse of the sea?" Steven questioned.

  
"You drown the next time you touch water." Lapis dead panned.

  
"Don't scare him Lapis!" Ruby said swimming over to Sapphire and Garnet "Be nice!"

  
"He isn't Rose and he isn't one of us!" Lapis snapped tisking and swimming back to the rock she was at before, joining the other blue girl "Just tell him to go away."

  
"He is the only one who can call us like she did." Sapphire said just loud enough to be herd as Ruby came up to her side and made herself comfortable on her shoulder "The only one who want's answers with nothing in return."

  
"All I've wanted to do for so long was meet you all." Steven said "Mom cared about you all so much and I've herd so many stories. Its just... Its so nice to meet you all... Even if you don't like me."

  
"Hey bud, no-one said they didn't like you." Greg said ruffling Steven's hair, making his son smile.

  
"She seems to not like me." Steven said nodding towards Jasper who's deep growl echoed off the walls for a second.

  
"Shes just grumpy cause Pearl is upset." Amethyst said.

  
"Shes upset? Did I do that?"

  
"The yelling did it I think."

  
"Oh." Steven said leaning over and waving at Pearl "I'm sorry I scared you."

  
Pearl jumped at his words and moved to be slightly behind Jasper but she stopped clicking and Jasper seemed to advert her attention to her smaller companion long enough to stop growling, which Greg was more then grateful for.

  
"Remember what I told you on the way over here?" Greg asked after a moment.

  
"Be patient and try not to yell." Steven nodded before looking at Amethyst. "So... about my question."

  
"Oh yea, I never answered it." Amethyst said "Were mermaids."

  
There faces ranged from amused to weary at Steven's eyes growing to the size of dinner plates. "Your mer-! agh! Sorry. Your mermaids?" 

  
It was hard to contain his excitement as Amethyst leaned forward and a purple tail looking like every shade of purple was splattered across it came up out of the water and a bit above her head for Steven to see. To say she was happy at his reaction was an understatement. Steven himself was trying not to get up and jump up and down in excitement, remembering that loud noises wasn't the only thing that startled them.

  
"May I? No, wait, that's probably rude." Steven said going to ask a question but thinking better of it.

  
"If your going to ask if you can touch it I'd say yes but Jasper would swim over here and break me in half." Amethyst said.

  
"Its considered rude to touch a mermaids tail if your not one of them." Lapis snapped crossing her arms and swimming backwards a bit.

  
"Or not given personal permission." Peridot added.

  
"So is it a tail all the time? Like, if you come out of the water will you keep it or dose it turn to legs? Wait, if it turns to legs do you know how to walk or is it like learning to walk,er, swim all over again?" 

  
Most of them smiled at Steven's curiosity as he rattled off question after question to himself rather then to Amethyst who seemed more then ready to answer them.

  
"They can turn into legs." Amethyst said cutting Steven off "But only for a day before we need to get back into the ocean. We can be in fresh water too, like a 'bathtub' I think Rose called it, but its to buy us a few hours more on land."

  
Steven had a million more questions pop into his head but one took a left turn away from the others "Why are you wearing one of the shirts we brought? I mean, its great that your wearing it cause it looks good on you and Lapis (hissing from Lapis was her response) but why? I thought-"

"Ern Steven-"

  
"Greg said that kids your age aren't supposed to look at naked people." Amethyst said cutting Greg off "He mainly brings them for those of us with short hair. Also he doesn't think its very nice to stair at naked girls-"

  
"OK!" Greg said covering Steven's ears "C'mon Amethyst. He isn't old enough to know about that stuff yet."

  
"What age do you guys teach them anything?" Peridot said "We all know about that stuff from very young."

  
"Humans are different." Greg said "Just humor me."

  
"Your not dead yet." Lapis huffed.

  
"That's not the same thing." Greg let go of Steven and the boy looked at him funny before looking back at Amethyst.

  
"Hey Steven." Amethyst said leaning forward and pointing at the shell in his hands. "Can I see that?"

  
"Um..." Steven looked at the shell in his hands as he held it close to his chest "I'm sorry Amethyst. My mom said to never let anyone touch it that wasn't me or my dad. I mean, I'd like to let you, its just..."

  
"Hey man, its cool." Amethyst said propping herself up on her elbows and holding up her hands "I just wanted to see if my water mark was still there."

  
"Your water mark?" Steven said looking at her funny.

  
"Yea!" Amethyst smiled big as she pulled herself up out of the water to sit on the rock. Her fin and tail just below her knee stayed submerged in the water as she leaned on her hand. "Mines the purple one right here."

  
"Are they all there?" Blue spoke up as she was curled up next to Lapis in the water, getting her to hold still.

  
"Yea! There all still here." Amethyst said before going about and point out each water mark on the shell and who it belonged too. Steven realized that the placement of the dots were similar to the groups they were all in at the moment.

  
"So.... The marks note to who is close with who." Steven said looking at the shell before looking up "Right?"

  
"Your smarter then I thought." Peridot said pulling herself out of the water next to Amethyst and giving Greg a funny look when he suddenly covered Steven's eyes. "What?"

  
"Peridot, please." Greg said looking to the rocks above. "I have a lot of respect for you guys. The shirts are the only real thing I ask of you."

  
Amethyst snickered as Peridot rolled her eyes but she slipped back into the water and went over to the box of shirts to pick one out.

  
"So." Steven pulled his dads hands away from his eyes. "Um... C-Could you tell me about my mom? Its ok if you guys don't want to or are uncomfortable about it. Its just, she spoke a lot about you all but never really told dad and I feel like there was so much more she wanted to tell me but can't now and stuff."

  
"He can't be here." Lapis snapped looking at Greg.

  
"But-"

  
"It's ok Steven. There are things they can't tell me and that's ok." Greg smiled and ruffled his sons hair after a moment before standing "I'll go wait at the entrance outside alright? Just remember the box when your done."

  
"Ok." Steven said smiling up at his dad. After Greg made another comment about shirts and decency they all watched as he made his way up the stone ramp and to the opening in the rocks they came down threw.

  
While Steven was watching his dad move, he didn't see the others move as well. When Greg was far enough away Pearl and Jasper had slipped into the water. They had stuck to the bottom of the lagoon as they swam closer to Steven. Peridot had picked a shirt to wear and, at the barely audible clicks from Garnet, brought two shirts over to the dark girl before swimming back over to Amethyst. Pearl emerged long enough to exchange a few clicks with Garnet before taking one of the shirts from her and slipping back into the water. She put the huge shirt on her self before gently swimming up to the trio on the rock, Jasper lurking in the water below.  
Once they all saw Greg disappear Steven turned his attention back to the mermaids.

"Oh, hi Pearl." He said noticing her hiding a bit behind Peridot's tail and jumping before coming out between her and Amethyst.

  
She glanced at both of them before placing her hands on the rock. As if it was a silent request both smaller girls slipped back into the water as Pearl pulled herself out of it to sit on the rock. Steven watched her closely as she saw Jasper move up behind her in the water, just treading under the surface, her eyes seeming to glow on there own. He watched as Pearl looked at him. He told her her tail was pretty and it made Pearl turn a little red. Her tail was a pure white color like snow. The water on her scales made her shine bright like a clear morning sky.

  
"Mom wrote a lot about you." Steven said trying to make her feel a bit relaxed around him. She seemed to be weary and Steven could feel the anxiousness rolling off her. She didn't seem to be ok being so close to him, even less so out of the water in a now wet sticky t-shirt so Steven kept talking. "She wrote about when she first met all of you. How she thought you were very sweet and how nice it was of you to show tell her what she could and could not say around your kind. She kept a lot of the things you gave her. I have them all in my room on a shelf. She kept almost everything you guys brought her. I try to keep them nice but I broke one by accident when I was cleaning." Steven chuckled running his hand over the shell in his lap before hugging it "I cried for days after and my dad was able to glue it back together but its not the same."

  
There was a gentle click and Steven looked up. He looked around at the others before looking at Pearl. He gave her a funny look and she tilted her head and clicked her tongue again. Steven furrowed his eyebrows and Pearl leaned back a bit.

  
"I'm sorry." Steven said "I don't know, um, what your... saying?"

  
He watched Pearl blink a bit before huffing and turning to look over her shoulder. She looked at the others and clicked a bit before Lapis ducked under the water. When Pearl turned back to Steven he tapped his forehead.

  
"Dose it hurt?" He asked as Lapis appeared and pulled herself up on her arms on the rock "The scare on your head."

  
"Its not a scar." Lapis said "Its the mark of mermaids and those who can talk with us."

  
"Oh ok." Steven said with a sigh of relief that seemed to confuse the pair in-front of him "I thought someone hurt you."

  
Pearl clicked her tongue a few times and Lapis spoke "She want's to know what you broke and how much you know about us."

  
"It was a small knife." Steven said raising his hands "About this big, and shiny. I was moving it to clean the dust off the shelf where we had it and it slipped out of my hand and fell on the floor. It didn't break in half but the blade split right down the middle... I'm sorry if it was something you gave to mom. I try to take care of her stuff the best I can. Most of really delicate stuff I keep in a nice box so it won't-"

  
"And the things about us." Lapis said cutting Steven off.

  
"Um.... Mom said that you all were powerful and that I should never go into the sea without respect for its energy and never with bad intent. She also said that when I call you I must have an offering to give for the time I take from the guardians of the seas heart." Steven pointed to the now two remaining shells in the water they brought "Um, next time I'll bring more. We weren't sure how many of you were actually going to come, or come at all. I'm sorry there isn't enough for you all. I can go get more and bring them back if you want. What ever color you want! They make all kinds now!"

  
Lapis winced a bit at Steven's volume and excitement where Pearl's eyes seemed to soften a bit with a smile on her face. She clicked a few more times as she drew the rest of her tail out of the water. The shimmering white tail glowed for a moment before two legs took there place, her scales still decorating her lower half.  
Pearl's movement had Jasper pop her head out of the water enough for her eyes to stair Steven down while coming close enough to grab Lapis and Pearl if needed. The others seemed to move a bit closer too. Garnet, Sapphire, and Ruby moved to the edge of the rocks they were sitting on while Blue swam over to be behind Jasper while placing a hand on her shoulder. Peridot and Amethyst gravitated towards Lapis a bit.

  
"That looks so cool!" Steven said smiling big and trying not to wiggle too much in place "It looks like you have cool leggings on!"

  
A few confused clicks and looks had Amethyst pipe up from the water "Whats leggings?"

  
"Oh! There like... shirts for your legs." Steven explained. He didn't know how much about human clothing they knew and didn't want to confuse them too much. "They help cover your body."

  
Pearl raised up on her knees and tucked the long shirt under herself before sitting back down. Steven caught her looking at the box behind him and with a few clicks from her he answered the question before Lapis could translate.

  
"It has another shell in it." Steven said pulling the box close. "Dad said this was left for my mom right before she had me. He... He said it made her very upset and made him promise to keep it safe and hide it until she could bring it to you all as soon as she could... But that's when mom went into labor and..." Steven put his hand on his stomach, over his scar, and held the shell in his hands close to his heart. "I'm sorry... I know you all must miss her a lot... I wish I got to know her."

  
Steven scrubbed away a few tears but then jumped. There was a hand on his head and when he looked up he saw it was Pearl who was touching him. She smiled a little at him and ruffled his hair. He assumed she was copying what she saw his dad do. She ruffled his hair a bit too hard but seemed content with the smile Steven gave her. "Thanks Pearl."

  
"What shell are you supposed to give us?" Lapis asked. She was holding herself up on her hands and craning her neck a bit to try and see in the box.

  
"Its a white shell." Steven said with a frown as he looked at the box. "With a hand print on it. I don't like touching it. It gives me a bad feeling."

  
"Bad feeling?" Peridot said.

  
"How?" Sapphire asked.

  
"A bad feeling like something bad will happen if you like, hold it for too long or something. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it but I don't like it. I keep it in the back of my dads closet so I'm not near it."

  
Pearl took her hand back and clicked a few times "She wants to see it." Lapis said.

  
Steven whined a bit as he looked at the box. His unease made the others back up, Lapis sinking back down into the water a bit, and Jasper come right up to place a big hand on the rock, the other on Pearl's arm. Pearl herself scooted back as Steven placed the shell in his hand behind him and away from everyone before turning to the box. He hesitated a bit before reaching into the box and pulling out the shell. When he held it up for the others to see they all moved. Clicks and growls filled the air as almost all of them dove into the water. Ruby, Sapphire, Peridot, and Blue darted just under the waters surface and out of the lagoon. Garnet swam right up to the group at the rock as Amethyst backed up behind Jasper. Lapis hissed and dived back into the water as Jasper herself yanked Pearl back into the water. The large girl growled deeply at Steven before going under the water and dragging Lapis and Pearl with her. Garnet grabbed Amethyst as she spoke.

  
"Get rid of that and don't come back until you do!" Amethyst said as Pearl and Lapis darted out of the lagoon while Jasper circled back around for the remaining two "It's a curse shell and bad luck to you if you get it wet."

  
"Wait, how do I get rid of it?!" Steven asked jumping to his feet while Garnet started dragging Amethyst back. "What's a curse shell? Hold on!"

  
"Just don't get it wet!" Amethyst yelled as Jasper reached her and Garnet "Go!"

  
There was nothing Steven could do as the last three mermaids darted out of the lagoon. Steven was left with so many more questions then answers. The first thing, however, he needed to do was call Connie. She was his main connection to the non-human world. If anyone knew about curses and charms it was her and her mom.

**Deep in the Mariana Trench, near Challenger Deep**

Night was falling across the sea and a storm was brewing on the surface. Jasper and Lapis' growls were echoing off the trench walls as they swam. Lapis was making her disgust for the situation well known and Jasper was doing her part to keep the volatile mermaid a distance away from the others.

  
"Why did you have to talk to him?!" Lapis snapped "He wasn't Rose!"

  
"He called us just like she used too." Peridot said "You can't say you weren't as curious as the rest of us."

  
"Curiosity has nothing to do with it!"

  
"If you didn't want to talk then why did you?" Ruby asked keeping pace with Sapphire and Garnet, who was starting to circle closer to Jasper and Lapis "You didn't take the offering."

  
"Because Amethyst took the offering before we all came to a decision." Lapis growled.

  
"Was it _our_ decision that _you_ jumped the gun and spoke first?" Amethyst growled back "Laws of the sea, I was the only one who should of been able to speak to them first but you decided that rule didn't apply to you."

  
"I'm trying to protect all of you!" Lapis said swimming ahead and stopping to face the group "Greg was told not to come back! He even brought another human with him! He may have Rose's mark but he isn't one of us! We can't trust him!"

  
"It's not your job to protect them." Jasper growled and Garnet came up to her side "Its ours."

  
"Yea and the two of you are doing _such_ a good job when a human was able to summon us." Lapis spat.

  
"They are no threat to us." Garnet said placing a hand on Jasper's shoulder to stop her next remark "If they were I would of sensed it and we wouldn't of gone."

  
"Ya know what?!" Amethyst said swimming at Lapis but getting stopped by Peridot grabbing her arm "Your not originally one of us either but we kept you!" She yanked her arm away from Peridot and pointed at Lapis "So stop acting like the queen of the ocean and learn your place!"

  
Lapis hissed and swam at Amethyst but a strong rush of water knocked the two of them apart. In the back of the group Pearl hand a look of disgust on her face as Blue manipulated the water around them. Once the bubbles had cleared and the lot of them got there barrings again Pearl started clicking her tongue.

  
'Both of you stop.' She clicked 'Going at each-other is not going to change a thing.'

  
"Oh shut up Pearl!" Lapis snapped "Just because your the main guardian of the heart of the sea doesn't mean you can boss the rest of us around!"

  
'I am not-'

  
"We don't need your better then you wisdom so just shut up!"

  
"Don't talk to her like that or I'll-"

  
"Or you'll _what_ Jasper? Banish me?"

  
"That's enough." Sapphire spoke up, the water getting colder then it already was at this depth. "Fighting isn't going to change anything so just stop." She looked around the group "Lapis, we understand your upset but you need to understand that Greg and Steven are no threat to us. They didn't ask about the heart or anything Rose had in the past. They did not speak ill to us or disrespect us in any way. Regardless of there reasons to call us they are of no threat so let it go." The last part was directed at Lapis. "What we need to do now is get back and think of what to do next. If he is the true descendant of Rose then, Garnet."

  
"It is a strong possibility of _them_ becoming involved again." Garnet spoke after a few moments of silence.

  
"We need to be cautious." Sapphire said.

  
"We _need_ to not go back." Lapis said crossing her arms.

  
"I don't think Steven even knows about _them_. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who can keep a secret like that to himself." Amethyst said "And even if he did know, don't you think he would of known what we are before asking?"

  
"She has a point." Blue said softly.

  
"All the more reason to stay away!" Lapis said.

  
"If he calls again only one of us will go with a guardian while the others stay back." Sapphire said as she started to swim forward again, the others following behind slowly. "Caution until we rule him out of that possibility."

  
"Where going back?!" Lapis shouted.

  
"No-ones making you ya know." Amethyst said swimming by the blue girl "If your just gonna be a jellyfish about it then stay behind."

  
"I am not a jellyfish!" Lapis growled catching up to Amethyst at the back of the group "I just don't trust humans."

  
"Whatever Jellyfish." Amethyst said sticking her tongue out and smacking Lapis on the arm.

  
"Hey!"

  
"Your it!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to be full of so much detail and stuff so updates won't be every week but every 2 once I get caught up on what I have already written

"Ok." Connie said over the phone "Tell me what happened."

When Steven and Greg got back to the car-wash his dad owned Steven went right to his room, which in all honestly was just the garage bay in the back converted into two bedrooms and a master bathroom. It wasn't fancy by any means but it was enough for the state to deem it a suitable home. Steven had put the boxes from the cove in there make-shift living room of the office space up front and gone to his room right away with the curse shell. Now here he sat talking to Connie on the phone while she was running around her own place doing whatever she was doing when Steven called.

"They asked to see it and when I showed them they all freaked out." Steven repeated for what felt like the tenth time in twenty minutes. "They were all kinda ok until they saw this shell. They all got really scared after and told me not to come back until I get rid of it."

"That's it?"

"And not to get it wet."

"Hm... I'm not sure what kinda curse it is. Especially since you can't get it wet." Steven could hear Connie going to her mothers study and knocking on the door "But my mother mite."

Steven herd her mom tell Connie to come in and by the sound of the door opening and the thumps of books hitting the ground made it obvious the Doctor was in the middle of something.

"What is it Connie." Her mothers voice said a bit away "I'm very busy."

"I have a question." Connie said.

"Is that why your on the phone with Steven?"

"Where you spying on my conversations again?!"

"Hi doctor Maheswaran!" Steven said.

"Ok, _Steven_ has a question."

"I'm very busy right now and if its another question about shifting into dinosaurs then-"

"It's about curses."

The pause on the other side of the line had Steven biting his lip.

"What kind of curse?" The doctor said after a bit. "Is it on speaker?"

"Yea, hold on... Ok, go on Steven."

"Oh! It's, uh, on one of the things my mom owned." Steven said "I finally met the people she talked about in the books she left me, the ones about the water people, and when I showed them this shell they freaked out and-"

"A shell?" The doctor cut Steven off "Are you talking about Mermaids?"

"You know what they are?!" Steven said jumping up.

"No way! Your mom talked to mermaids?!" Connie said "I thought they didn't exists anymore!"

"Well your right and wrong." Her mother said "But Steven, this is a conversation we can't have over the phone. Me and Connie will be coming over in a bit to see you and will talk in person."

"Ok, I'll let my dad know." Steven said shuffling off his bed and going to his door. The line clicked and Steven put his phone in his pocket. He wondered out of his room, down there hallway of hanging blankets to there living-room and told his dad what was going on.

"Oh boy." Greg said getting to his feet and getting his flip-flops on. "Think we should clean up a bit if there coming over. With there heightened scenes a little febreeze isn't going to be enough and I don't want another lecture on health regulations."

Within an hour they had there home clean enough for company. They had opened the front door and let the sea breeze waft into the house to freshen it up when a distant howl echoed threw there home.

"Sounds like there almost here." Greg said as Steven ran over to the front door. He was knocked back in a instant by a black panther the size of a large dog jumping on him.

"Connie please." Doctor Maheswaran said walking in the front door, watching as Connie turned back into a human and was laughing with Steven on the floor. "Hello Mr. Universe."

"Hello Doc." Greg said waving with a smile "I'll just get out of the way here and let you do your thing."

With that Greg slipped into the car-wash part of the building and started playing music. The doctor waited until the music had her wincing before turning to Steven. "Where's this curse item?"

"I'll go get it." Steven said getting to his feet and helping Connie up. "And its a curse _shell_."

Steven ran back into his room and fetched the shell. When he came back out the Doctor had taken off the backpack she came in with and was pulling out several books. Her and Connie were busy flipping threw the pages of one in particular when Steven came and sat with them. The look on the doctors face was most disturbing when she finally got a good look at the object in hand. The way she quickly got up and went into Steven's makeshift kitchen had the kids feeling uneasy.

"Whats wrong mom?" Connie asked.

"Steven do you have any salt?" The doctor said looking over the shelves quickly.

"Oh, next to the hot plate on the counter. Behind the cereal." Steven answered "Whats wrong?"

The doctor didn't answer the kids as she found the salt and came back over to them. She quickly cleared there coffee table and made a circle of salt in its center. The doctor was a very neat organized person so the fact that she was making a mess had the kids antsy where they sat. After the circle was made the doctor pulled out three candles from her backpack and stood them up in the salt.

"Place the shell in the center." She said as she pulled out a match and started lighting the candles "Quickly Steven."

Steven did as he was told and the kids sat in silence as the doctor lit the candles and then put the match out. They didn't speak as the doctor took a deep breath and blew out the candles. The candles themselves weren't out for more then a few seconds before the candles re-lit and burned a sea green color. They all leaned back at the sudden lighting and the kids looked to the doctor.

"What _was_ that?" Steven asked "What kinda curse _is_ this?"

"It's a soul stealing curse." The doctor said sitting back and frowning before grabbing a book and starting to flip threw its pages. "How you still have yours is a miracle in itself Steven."

"How did you even _get_ an item like this Steven?" Connie asked leaning to the side to look at the shell but not getting any closer. "Curses like this are next to mythical."

"Why's that?"

"Well, most people who can put a curse like this on an object either are outcast-ed from there respective species or-"

"Or there dabbling in the dark arts." The doctor said cutting her daughter off. "Where did this come from?"

"It was my moms." Steven said "She was supposed to give it to the people I met but she..." Steven placed a hand on his stomach "When I showed them they all freaked out and told me to get rid of it and not come back until I do."

"Your lucky they didn't kill you." She said "Most people who present others will a curse object are usually killed before the curse can be passed on."

"I thought mermaids weren't around anymore." Connie said.

"There not. Most of them have either been killed or hunted down for there power. The few that remain have retreated to the deepest parts of the ocean. There so rarely seen now that they are considered an endangered species if not fully extinct."

"Well we know there not _all_ gone."

"We know that now but whoever gave this too your mother either didn't know that or they knew exactly how many were coming to see your mother."

"Why are they so skittish?" Steven asked "Shouting and loud noises spook them but even me smiling at them had them pretty jumpy. Out of the eight of them only two came up to me willingly. The other 3 were very hesitant and one was kinda mean."

"Eight?" The doctor paused and looked up from the book in her hands before putting it aside and grabbing another "Then that's big for a pod of them. With only one hostile towards you?"

"A pod?" Connie said "Like a group of dolphins?"

"A pod. A school. A tribe." Her mother said holding up the book in her hands and turning it around to face them "It all depends on who your talking too. Our people personally call them the-"

"The guardians of the sea." Steven said cutting her off and pointing at the same picture the doctor was "I recognize that one!" Both Maheswaran's looked at Steven with wide eyes as he smiled at them "That's Pearl!"

The picture was of a silhouetted group of mermaids swimming around a glowing stone. There was a mermaid right below the stone, seeming to holding it up in the water above her head with power. Her eyes were whited out to seem like they were glowing and her silhouette was that of the white mermaid who touched Steven's head. "She has the same shape and short hair as her." He said cheerfully.

"Mermaid's live a very long time if left alone." The doctor said pushing the book into Stevens's hands "So it is either the one you met or she is a very close descendant of the one in this picture."

"So the curse." Steven said flipping the page. He face turned a bit red with Connie's as a detailed drawing of mermaid anatomy was displayed on the next page. Starting from the neck down was smooth skin until it hit there chest. Where the nipples would have been the skin faded into scales. The scales went under there chest and curved out to there ribs and made a wavy path down there sides to there hips before blending into the scales of there tails. A thin patch of scales adorned there shoulders and across the back of there shoulder blades before gently dipping down there spines towards there tail. The next page was a detailed explanation of why mermaids with shorter hair had thicker scales on there chest and back then there counterparts with long hair. It then went onto DNA and regions they would be found in before the words got too confusing to follow.

"The curse is defiantly against the one on the receiving end of this shell." The doctor said looking threw another book as the kids put the book in there lap aside, too embarrassed to keep it open about the mermaids detailed anatomy. "The one who gave this to your mother definitely knew who your mother was talking too."

"Do you think this is still backlash from the war?" Connie asked softly.

"War? What war?" Steven asked looking to his best friend then her mom. Both of them looked uncomfortable as the doctor spoke up.

"A long time ago there was a power struggle between magical creatures. Our kind, along with the mermaids and a few aerial creatures were on one side while those who preferred land and power were on another. Needless to say our side lost and those of our blood lines who survived went into hiding. Not having anywhere to go other then the sea and not being able to stay on land long left the mermaids vulnerable and they were hunted down and almost killed off as a species."

"Its hard to hide in the ocean when the people above the surface can find you." Connie added softly.

"The last attempt to wipe them out went bad for the people after them." The doctor said turning the book around in her hand. She was pointing to a picture of three mermaids and the shining stone again "They had cornered the original guardians of the heart of the sea. They killed off the one in the center, took the one on the right and the one on the left disappeared. It threw the balance of the sea into chaos. The remaining mermaids gained god like powers for a short time and used it in revenge. The back-lash was felt so strongly that none of the raiding party made it back to land. Those who had all the power called off the slaughter of the aquatic species." She closed the book and put it aside "Since then, the ones left have been seen so rarely that no-one believes they even exist anymore."

Steven looked at the shell.

"If they are what remains of this race, then the ones you met are all that's left with the burden of the guarding the heart. There inexperienced and out of there league. If there ever attacked again there species will more then likely cease to exist and the ocean will die along with them."

That left Steven a lot to think about. Connie and her mom started talking about how to lift the curse on the shell and how to go about getting rid of the peaces when Greg popped his head into the room. "Uh, not to interrupt but would it be too much trouble for Connie to spend the night? I just got a call from one of Steven's aunt's who needs help with her car and I don't want to leave Steven here alone. And since your house isn't exactly safe for humans, well."

The doctor stared at Greg for a long time but the hopeful look on the kids faces had her pinching the bridge of her nose while she answered "I need to put several charms on your home first."

"Long as it doesn't burn down the house or whats left of my hair."

"Deal." The doctor turned to Steven "In the mean time I'll head back home and get the materials needed to lift the curse from the shell and help get rid of it after."

"Thanks Doctor Maheswaran." Steven said with a smile "I can't wait to see them smile when I tell them the curse is gone."

"They should be very pleased." The doctor said gathering up her things and putting them back in her bag "Come along Connie, we need to get you all set up to stay over."

"Yes Ma'am."

**The rim of Challenger Deep**

The storm up above had the pod of mermaids keeping deep in the sea. They usually floated about a third of the way down from the surface over Challengers Deep. They tended to swim around with the schools of fish and aquatic life that would pass by at all depths but this storm was a fierce once, forcing them to keep in the cooler water below. Here they lounged about the lip of the deep. Amethyst, Lapis and Blue were swimming around playing a game. Sapphire was sitting with Ruby and Peridot. The two smaller mermaids were entranced with how Sapphire turned the water to ice crystals around them then back, freezing there hair into funny patterns, manipulating the water around them into different shapes and sizes, and making some take the form of the others while some mimicked the sea life. Pearl was glaring up at the oceans surface as Garnet and Jasper took turns sitting next to her and circling around the deep, ever keeping an eye out for threats and predators.

"Your thoughts have your mind clouded." Garnet said as she swam up next to her and sat on the deeps edge. Jasper had taken off to circle a few moments before "Whats fogging up your head?"

'This storm feels different.' Pearl clicked quietly 'The way it crashes into the waters surface... Its too rough. Too forceful.'

"Not natural with the elements of this zone." Garnet said looking up.

'Somethings not right but I can't quite put my finger on what.' Pearl clicked more to herself then Garnet but the taller girl had herd her. Pearl tended to be more in-tune with the elements of the world when they were thrown off balance. The more out of wack things were, the more power she felt run threw the sea, threw herself. If she felt the power of the world coursing threw her then the balance was thrown way off. Now, don't be mistaken. They _all_ could feel the power of the sea run threw them. Pearl was just more in tuned with the chaos it created while the others were in tune with the balance it kept.

If things went wrong or were wrong Pearl would be the first to feel the shift in power. Jasper and Garnet would feel the shift a bit after since they were the Guardians of there pod. Sapphire, Blue, and Lapis would feel the power coursing threw the water and into there fingertips, telling them what was coming by feeling that power. Amethyst, Peridot, and Ruby didn't really have a strong feeling for the power of the sea like the others but they stuck near the heart of the sea when things got rough. Standing as a last defense against would be attackers with Pearl, the three of them used there power well to keep all back and life of the sea safe. There pod was small by enchant standards and unheard of in today's time but they had nowhere else to go, no other mermaid groups to interact with, so they stuck together and made the best with what they had. The few mermaids left swimming the seas solo were spread out so far and wide that it was rare to even run into them.

"Is the balance off?" Garnet asked after a while.

Pearl flexed her fingers and took a deep breath, tuning into the energy of the sea. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up a bit but other then that everything felt fine. This worried her. She knew in her head something was wrong but couldn't _feel_ what it was.

Glancing at Garnet she shook her head. "Then its probably best you go down and get some rest. How long has it been?" Garnet asked. "Your connection is probably out of sync."

"Few days." Jasper's voice came to them. They both watched as she swam over and treaded just in-front of them. "Almost a week."

'I'm fine.' Pearl said waving them off. 'And I _have_ slept in that time.'

"I know when you sneak out when you think I'm asleep." Jasper said making Pearl blush from embarrassment of being caught. "Closing your eyes for a few minutes doesn't count."

"Mite be why you can't feel whats wrong even though you _know_ something feels off. Some rest will put you back in sync with the sea." Garnet said

'But Garnet.'

"Would all of us resting put you at ease?" Garnet asked gently. She knew Pearl better then anyone, even her partner Jasper. They had been around the longest out of the pod and had seen the world once over before. Pearl knew trying to argue her point further would result in them literally dragging her down so she nodded. "Then it's settled."

Jasper gently took Pearl's hand and pulled her down into Challengers Deep. Garnet gathered the others and soon they were all heading down. Towards the bottom, right above the thin layer of earth to its molten core, was a hidden crack in the wall. This crack was covered in runes and markings of there species. Going into this hole you were lead down a small slightly twisting path to an open cave. The cave was covered in runes and symbols all over. Towards the back was another hole. The heart of the sea was in this hole. Locked behind magic, curses, and an eerie blue glow, the heart set a dim light into the darkness of the cave visible to the mermaids eyes only. This was considered a sacred place of there people but due to the war in the past and there dwindling numbers they stayed close and chose here to rest and call home. It was considered treacherous and disgusting to stay where the heart rested but the past didn't matter too much when the ones who cared about that tradition were long gone.

There were dips and curves in the caves floor that served as the resting nooks for the pod. Some were big enough for just one while others were big enough for a group to rest in. They never all slept at the same time. Someone had to always be awake and on watch. It wasn't because they were constantly being attacked, quite the opposite, but there fear of elimination and death instilled by the elders of the past was deeply rooted into them. Pearl was usually the one to stay awake but that wasn't going to happen this time. Amethyst ended up being picked to stay awake.

They all silently swam threw the cave opening one by one. As they entered the runes on the wall started glowing a slightly deep blue color. It was like the heart knew its pod and guardians were back, like it was welcoming them home. The pod liked resting in the cave. Being so close to the earths core it was always warm in here despite the crushing depths and cold chill outside there little home. One by one they settled into there nooks they come to silently claim as there own while Garnet waited at the entrance for them all to enter. As she ran her hands over a few runes, activating a magical barrier so nothing could hurt them, the others got comfortable while Amethyst swam up to a big notch in the cave wall. It was used in the past as a bed for the guardians of old. Now they use it as a perch to keep watch of the entrance. It was up high enough that they couldn't see it and hidden well enough that the dim glow of the runes couldn't reach it and the one perched there had a perfect view over everything.

They all tended to pick the nooks closest to the Heart of the sea. Peridot and Amethyst slept next to each other right at the hearts entrance. Lapis tended to sleep alone but had become accustom to Blue joining her right next to there other two. Next would be Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet in one big pail while Jasper and Pearl took the furthest nook in the group. Forever being protective of there pod and the heart they chose this spot to be the first line of defense and last to wake up when nothing would happen.

After settling in it was a few hours until Pearl woke up with a start. She felt a strong surge of power roll threw her so intensely that it woke her from a dead sleep. She was a light sleeper to begin with but when she was out, she was out. Pearl blinked a few times before looking around. The runes were still glowing and the others were still asleep. Jasper wasn't stirring so that power must of not been strong enough to wake her or Garnet, but that worried Pearl. It was just so strong. So _strange_. After a bit of debate in her head Pearl slowly de-tangled herself from her partners strong grip on her form. Slowly she floated up enough to look over everything again. Peridot was asleep with Blue and Lapis with both blue girls wrapped around the small green one. Ruby and Sapphire were clinging to each other while Garnet was wrapped around them in a half circle. Jasper was turned to where Pearl had been curled up in her arms, her back to the cave entrance. Pearl couldn't see Amethyst from here so she slowly swam up to check on her. As she got close she could hear light snoring that made her roll her eyes. Her and Jasper could sleep for days if you let them. Pearl couldn't understand how they could be immobile for so long. Just sleeping like she did she felt restless already.

As Pearl neared the sleeping girl, movement was caught in her peripheral vision. Pearl slowed her assent as she turned to the caves entrance. Floating in the center if the dim glow she could make out two eyes. They sent such a cold shiver down her spine that she could feel the chill down to her bones. Before she could react, from the darkness shot out something faster then the blink of an eye. Just like the snap of your fingers, a chain had wrapped itself around the base of Pearl's tail, right above her fin. The end of the chain had a giant spiked hook on it that when a sudden yank on it came, it dug into Pearl's tail with searing pain inflicted.

Now, when a mermaid screams, boy is it loud. It echoes threw the water and sounds like a million voices screaming together. Pearl's in particular was unusually loud so when it suddenly filled the space the others were quick to wake. As Pearl was yanked toward the darkness where the cold eyes once were she twisted around and tried to grab onto something, anything. Jasper and Garnet were the first to react. Jasper b-lined for Pearl, along with a dazed and half awake Amethyst, while Garnet was right behind them. The others swam back to the heart ready to defend it.

Pearl had a terrified look on her face and as she was pulled out of the cave entrance. In her panic and trying to swim away her hand brushed some of the runes on the wall. The fear and panic flowing through her surged through the runes so strongly they reacted instantly. They started glowing a deep red and the whole cave lit up faster then a wildfire in dry brush. The second Pearl was pulled clear of the cave a red field of magic activated and sealed the entrance. From Pearl's end she saw everyone she cared about disappear behind a wall of rock. From the other end Jasper and Garnet slammed into the magical wall, getting thrown back. They could see out but Pearl couldn't see in.

As Pearl was pulled further away Jasper repeatedly slammed her form into the barrier. "Get this open!"

"I'm trying!" Sapphire said as her and Peridot swam around the cave trying to deactivate the runes. "Nothings working!"

From Pearl's end she felt cut off. She felt terrified. The chain was pulling her further and further from the wall. When the chain went to pull her in a new direction it went slack just enough for her to shake it free. The second she felt it was free from her tail Pearl stared swimming as fast as she could back towards where the cave had disappeared. She was fast but whoever was doing this was faster.

As Pearl got close several figures shot out of the darkness and straight at her. Pearl just barley manage to swim out of the way and soon she was doing a deadly dance with her attackers. They all swam here and there trying to catch her but Pearl wasn't a fool. She realized very quickly that they were pushing her further and further from where the cave was as she swam this way and that. She was paying very close attention to the ones moving her and she quickly saw there pattern. Just as the dark figures went to grab her she dove straight down. She broke free of there circle and b-lined for the ocean floor. Just below a thin layer of sand laid several dozen weapons of all shapes and sizes. They were used by there people long ago from the war. In there travels they collected and brought them all back here. The others had thought it was pointless to keep them after a while but Pearl was happy they did as she reached the floor and grabbed one of her favorites and turned around.

Jasper was trying hard to punch through the magic wall when a figure came right up to the caves entrance. The energy rolling off this figure froze the pod inside. The figure was a dark silhouette but that didn't stop there piercing blue eyes from freezing them in place. The figure was twice the size of them with wild hair that floated everywhere. Realizing that they had the silhouette of one of there own caused everyone to back up. They watched the figure turn its head slightly and touch one of the red runes right outside there home. They watched in shock and horror as the rune turned blue. They couldn't see it, but they all could feel the figure smile.

Pearl herself frowned as she shot up from the ocean floor. The figures were quick to see the weapon in her hands and quicker to keep there distance. Pearl's spear was like an extension of her form. She swam through the water and slashed at her attackers with easy but the odds were against her. They managed to stay just far enough away that she couldn't strike them but they in turn couldn't grab her either. Pearl was about to strike again when sudden whispers filled the water. They echoed in her head and swirled around her. It made Pearl grimace and shake her head in lost focus. It was enough to gain the attention at the caves entrance.

"So." The voice whispered threw the water louder then the ones echoing in Pearl's head "Your the one who sealed the door."

Pearl blinked hard as she refocused and looked to where the cave should of been. She jumped a bit in surprise to see a figure floating there. She was already put off with being separated from the others. Even more so now with how _big_ the figure was. She was easily three times the size of Jasper and she herself was big to begin with.

"Open it." The figure whispered harshly at the mermaid. Pearl flinched at the whisper and she barred her teeth, tightening her grip on her spear. _What dose she mean open it?_ Pearl thought, _open what?_

The figure seemed to sense Pearl's confusion and turned to fully face her. "Open the cave to the heart."

Pearl barred more of her teeth and she clicked out a defiant no. There was a part of her deep, deep down that wanted to give in. That wanted to obey this figure and do what they say like a good little minnow. This feeling frighted and scared her. She hadn't felt a pull like this in a long _long_ time. Not since long before she joined this pod. There was only two figures who had this strong of a pool on there kind from long ago and that alone had Pearl back up ever so much. The need to listen and the need to run were both pulling at her but she fought to stay in place. There was too many people to run and she didn't want to leave the others behind at the mercy of whoever this was.

"A clicker." The figure said amused coming away from the wall a bit. "Your pod must be embarrassed." Pearl growled as the figure continued "To have a weak member like you in there group. How did it feel to love someone who could never love a rejected siren like you-"

'Shut Up!' Pearl clicked loudly. She twisted her spear in her arm and did a wide swing towards the figure. As she swung she felt another surge of power pass through her, causing the blade of the spear to glow and fire off a wide arc of light. The figures eyes grew a fraction bigger as the light blasted towards them. The same time it hit them the figures who were surrounding them attacked Pearl. Several of them grabbed both sides of the spear and slammed Pearl back into the rock wall behind her. Pearl choked on her breath as the figures pushed the spear back into her, pining her hands to her chest. The force was so much that it was going to leave deep bruises for weeks.

The whispers around them increased causing Pearl to whimper a bit in pain from there force in her head as the figures own slight laughed came to her. She was able to crack open her eyes enough to see the figure still floating there. There eyes were such a deep blue that there pupils were nonexistent. "I know who you are little minnow."

Pearl felt her breath catch in her throat as the figure swam over to her. She tried to get free but all her struggling did was make her captors hold her in place tighter. The figure was much bigger up close. Her skin was the color of ice with white hair of snow. Her willowy fingers shot out and grabbed a fist full of Pearl's hair. She yanked her head back, hitting it against the rock wall, while getting a good look at the scar on her forehead.

"Its been along time since I've seen a member of the Pink courts pod." The figure whispered getting close to Pearl's ear "Specially the one who was to be given away to the dead." Pearl's eyes shot open and became small as she look at the figure. She could feel another wave of power rolling up into her. It was so strong that she started to shake. "I wonder what she will say." The figured chuckled "When I bring you back to her."

Pearl felt the power in her burst. Her eyes suddenly glowed white as the energy of the sea surged threw her so forcefully that every figure around her was shot back at blinding speed. All the figures slammed into the Challengers walls as Pearl herself was practically glowing. Her eyes were such a blinding white that the water around her seemed to bubble. Her focus was on the figure as they pulled themselves from the rock wall. Pearl spun the spear in her hand for a moment before she threw it with a lot of force at the figure. Her aim was true but the figure was expecting it. To Pearl's horror the spear shot threw the figures hair and into the rock wall behind her.

The others saw the spear coming and moved out of its way just in time. The spear passed threw the magical barrier and impaled itself into the caves wall. It had shattered a rune and everything went bad. The heart started pulsing a deep red and the water started to bubble and the caves walls shook. The ground and ceiling cracked as crystal spikes shot into the space. The pod scrambled this way and that to get out of the crystals paths. The force and amount of bubbles disorientated them so badly that they didn't realize they were all separated until the water stopped buzzing around them. Jasper and Garnet started hitting and slamming themselves into the crystals while the others swam to there points and tried to yank them away. The crystal spikes circled the caves entrance and shot out into a giant mess jutting out into the dark water. Nothing was getting in and no-one was getting out.

"No!" The panic and trembling could be felt rolling out of the cave as the figure outside yelled in blind fury "She _is_ the guardian of the heart!"

The figure turned to Pearl as her own eyes started to glow blue. The sand on the ocean floor started to swirl and the weapons hidden in the sand shot up. Pearl and the figure were busy staring each other down when something up above shot down at her. Pearl looked up in time to see a long spear shoot threw the water, embedded itself in the wall behind her, and slice threw her side so deeply she screamed. She screamed so loud that there was no way that _any_ mermaid didn't hear her on this side of the sea. Her hand clamped over her side as her blood pored out into the water.

Her flight instinct took over.

With a powerful push of her tail Pearl shot up towards the surface.

"Forget the others!" The figure yelled. "Don't let her get away!"

Pearl's side was burning as she swam. The less pressure on her body the higher she went caused her to move faster with each passing second. She zigzagged her way to the surface as she felt the figure swimming up after her. She felt the sting of the water and blades of weapons shooting by her. Some grazed her skin while others missed her completely. A few hit there mark, knocking her off balance a few times but didn't stop her path. As she neared the surface she could see the sky was clear, the storm was gone, and there were several BIG ships waiting for her.

"Get back here you siren whore!" The figure below her yelled as several figures entered the water above. "Don't let her find a current!"

Pearl easily dodged and weaved her way threw the figures as they tried to orientate themselves in the water. Just before Pearl would breach the oceans surface she arched her back and swam just below its break. She was faster then anyone on the boats could be. They fired spears and nets at her but they just hit the swirling water long behind her. The pain in Pearl's side was throbbing threw her form as she felt the power pushing her forward start to wane. Pearl swam this way and that under the boats and around the people in the water grabbing for her.

Just as she thought she was running out of options of escape while rounding the furthest boat she spotted it. A current. She turned in a wide arc as she dodged a net and swam towards the stream. Just as the figure behind her bellowed for her to stop, Pearl entered the ripping current and was quickly wept away. The mermaid watched her assailants shrink away behind her as the current swept her faster and faster threw the ocean. She didn't know where this current was going but she didn't care.

Something _was_ wrong. Pearl knew that something was wrong but that figure...they had some how put up enough of a barrier that she couldn't feel the power of the seas chaos. That its balance was off. It was strong but not strong enough from it reaching down to the mermaids below.

What of the others? They had disappeared before Pearl's eyes. The cave was gone. The others had vanished. And Pearl felt alone. The pain in her side was becoming stronger and she felt the strain on her body to keep moving, to keep awake. She knew she had to find somewhere to go, a place to hide. The sea wasn't an option. No, if that figure was able to find them at the heart then she would be able to find a damaged mermaid like Pearl just floating about. There was only one place Pearl could think of to go. It wasn't a place she wanted to step foot again.

With the effort of a thousand strokes she pushed herself out of the current and swam off towards the shore. All the wile a thin trail of blood spotted the water behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Steven was a bit confused when Connie and her mom came back just as the sun started to set. Upon returning the doctor promptly placed several charms and enchantments over Steven's home for protection of the pair and to hide them as well, unknown to the kids. The living room had everything pushed up against the walls and now a salt circle, candles, and a few charmed objects adorned the center of the floor. Now the curse shell was in a magic bag and the doctor was handing Steven a hammer.

"So, I have to smash it with a hammer." Steven said looking at the bag now on the floor "And shatter it. And _that_ will lift the curse?"

"No." The doctor said making sure the bag was tide tightly shut before stepping out of the circle "The bag will allow you to break the shell without releasing the curse into the closest host. After it is broken then we can put it in the box I brought and I can take it with me to dispose of it properly. Now, are you ready Steven?"

Steven nodded and the Doctor blew out the candles. Just like before, the candles re-lit and the charmed objects started to float around the circle. The relighting made the kids jump and Steven frowned. He wished that Connie could be next to him while he did this but due to the nature of the curse, the doctor had Connie standing in there blanket hallway and out of the room. In case something went wrong the doctor made sure that she would be the one to get hit. Since she was an adult with many years of experiences, studying, and learning about curses and charms she was fairly certain she would only be severely injured, not dead on contact. Since Steven has had the shell for so long and hasn't died she was very worried that it would be drawn to him directly. All the more reason to put herself directly in the danger zone. Also that she would be responsible for his death.

Especially his death.

"Go on Steven." The doctor said gently standing between the circle and Connie, who was leaning around her mothers figure to see from her place on the floor in the hall.

With a determined look Steven tightened his grip on the hammer before bringing it up and slamming it down onto the bag. The shell inside made a spine shivering cracking sound. Its silhouette caved and the sound of a distant scream filled the air. It sent another chilling shiver up the kids spines as the doctor looked out the window.

"What was that?" Steven mumbled.

"Is it over?" Connie asked leaning out into the room on her hands "Is the curse contained?"

The doctor didn't answer right away. Her gaze looked miles away as she stared out the window. She seemed to be thinking deeply as she stood and went over to the special box she brought. She brought the box into the circle and gently placed the bag inside. She stayed quiet as she put the lid on the box.

"Steven." She said looking up at him before out the window again at the sound of light patters of rain starting to fall. "Can you and Connie go wait in your room until I leave? I need to put everything back and clean up this mess, make sure all the charms and such are set around the house, and it will be easier if your both not in the way."

Steven nodded and he and Connie disappeared into his room. The Doctor waited until the kids were safe in Steven's room to start packing up. The kids didn't know any better and for that she was grateful for. That distant scream didn't come from the shell. Someone or something was out there. The doctor cleaned up quickly and quietly, all the while keeping the window and front door in her sight at all times.

Doctor Maheswaran was no stranger to the danger of the non-human world. Her daughter didn't know this but shapshifters were in the same boat as the mermaids. They were being hunted down. Fortunately for her race, shapeshifters had the higher ground on land to hide. They could go anywhere and blend in. They didn't have a timer to return to the sea like there aquatic friends. The ability to hide, relocate, and disappear has protected them well. So well in fact that Dr. Maheswaran had sent Connie to public school and let her do extra activities outside her watchful eye. She even allowed her to be friends with Steven. She had hidden them well enough in this world. She was confident in her abilities that leaving Connie here with Steven was ok.

Maby too confident.

After a while she was ready to go and the kids were to be left alone in a house so covered with charms that anything magical walking through the town would be able to feel it, ever just so. It was only a few minutes more until the Doctor was at the front door, talking into the house. "I'm going now Connie! Let me know when you wake up and I'll let you know when me or your father will be around for you!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Connie said poking her head out Steven's bedroom "Night mom! Get home safe!" With that they were alone "So what do you wanna do now Steven?"

"Well we could watch Under the Knife. We just got the DVR working again and I managed to snag the first half of the hour season final!"

"But the second half is the best part!"

" _Whaaaat_? You watched it without me?!" Steven fell off the bed dramatically to his knees making Connie laugh "How could yoooouuuu!"

"We could always watch crying breakfast friends or Camp Pining Hearts." Connie suggested.

"I don't know if I can trust again." Steven placed his hand on his forehead and fell over. "Go on without me brave knight."

"What ever shall I do?" Connie mimicked Steven and fell to the floor next to him, head to head "Who will eat all the marshmallows with me now?!"

Both kids laughed as they laid there together. After a while they ended up back in the front room. They had put everything back the way it was and were just coloring and laughing about random things when there was a sudden bang on one of the garage bay doors. Both kids fell silent as they both looked at each other.

"Did you hear that too?" Connie asked as both her and Steven got up off the floor.

"Wonder what could of done that." Steven said. "There's nothing that big living around here."

"Couldn't be a bear." Connie said as they both looked down the blanket hall "The biggest thing in the woods around here are foxes."

Another bang rocked into the door and both kids jumped. Connie clung to the back of Steven's arm as the silhouette of a hand could be seen threw the blankets as lightning crossed the sky. It was a slim hand from what they saw.

"Maby its a burglar." Connie whispered.

"Or a zombie." Steven whispered back.

Both kids looked at each other before the sound of something leaning against the garage door and sliding to the ground made them look away. They both stepped back into the front room slowly. Steven went a grabbed a baseball bat his dad kept in there "kitchen" while Connie in turn shifted into a panther. Both kids went to the front door slowly and unlocked it.

"Wait, Steven." Connie whispered as Steven pushed the door open just a crack. "What if they have a weapon?"

"Then will just scream very loud and run at them." Steven whispered back.

"Will that work?"

"I think so. I saw it in a movie once with bears."

"But this isn't a bear!"

Steven hummed in thought before pushing the front door open. The wind and rain hit them pretty hard as they went outside. Steven kept close to the building as Connie walked crouched at his side. Both kids walked along the building until they reached the final corner where the bay doors were. They looked at each other and with a nod they jumped around the corner, completely forgetting to yell as they took the 'burglar' in.

"Pearl?"

"Wait is she?"

Both kids looked at the girl in question as she gasped in a shallow breath. Pearl's eyes were partially glassy as she was slumped against the bay door. Her form was slightly shimmering as the rain hit her. Her body was trying to return to its natural state but there wasn't enough water. That in itself was very taxing, being in a constant state of mid change. Steven noticed very quickly that she was in trouble.

"She's hurt." Connie said taking a step closer. Pearl had seen this and let out a hiss with a few clicks, barring her teeth ever just so.

"Wait Connie." Steven said putting the bat down "Shift back. She mite think your a threat like this."

"Good point." Connie said shifting back. Both kids watched Pearl's eyes go slightly bigger at the shift.

"Pearl, Are you hurt? Do you need help?" Steven asked taking a step towards the mermaid. Pearl watched him carefully but gave a slight nod. Thunder cracked across the sky and Steven worried his bottom lip as he watched Pearl's form glow a bit brighter before settling again.

"We need to get her inside." Connie said. "Something doesn't feel right out here Steven."

Steven nodded and went over to Pearl "Can I touch you?"

Steven saw a flicker of hesitation pass Pearl's face before she nodded. Steven nodded in turn and kneeled at her side. He slowly wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders while her other held tight to her side. Steven did his best not to look at her too much as he wrapped his other arm around her (For she had no shirt on this time). Steven got his feet under him before looking at Pearl. "Were going to stand now ok? If you have trouble just lean on me."

Pearl's weak nod was concerning but not at the front of the kids minds. As Steven got them both to there feet Connie had picked up the baseball bat and held it tightly in her hands. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up and her eyes kept wondering to the woods behind the car-wash. There was an irritating itch in her form telling her to change and just run. That something was watching them, that something wanted to hurt them. Connie couldn't _see_ what her body was trying to run from so she just stomped the feeling down and stuck close to Steven as he mostly dragged Pearl around to the front.

When all three of them got inside Connie quickly re-locked the door but being so young she couldn't stop her feeling of wanting to run. Instead of acting on it she channeled that into locking everything she could in the car-wash. As Connie went this way and that Steven had stopped halfway to the blanket hall. He was starting to have trouble holding Pearl up and now in the light of the room he could see just how bad she was hurt. Cuts littered the mermaids shoulders and arms. There was a deep oozing wound on her left side that she was mostly covering with her hand. Her being this hurt made Steven hurt inside. What surprised him however was that her blood wasn't red. It was silver.

He couldn't understand a lot of the words in the book about mermaids from earlier but he knew that they needed to be in water. Whatever had happened had been bad enough for Pearl to come here to them alone, so the only immediate solution Steven could think of to help Pearl was to get her in some water.

"Connie." Steven said shuffling slightly to keep both of them up-right "I need some help."

"Just one second." Connie said running past him. She had shut all the curtains, locked all the doors, and put heavy things in front of them. She ran around a bit more until she was satisfied with her work.

"What are you doing?" Steven asked.

"I felt like we were being watched when we were outside." Connie said coming up to the pair "So I made sure that no-one can get in."

"Oh ok. We need to get her into some water." Steven said "The bathtub should be big enough."

Connie nodded but when she went to touch Pearl the mermaid hissed with as much force as she could muster, which in all honestly wasn't much. She was barley standing.

"Oh, Connie you didn't ask first." Steven said.

"Oh, sorry!" Connie put her hands up to show no harm "May I touch you Ma'am?"

Pearl looked at her wearingly and shook her head no.

"It's ok Pearl, Connie is my best friend. You can trust her." Steven said "Also, because your getting heavy and I can't get you into the bathtub alone."

Pearl recognized the word bathtub in her haze so, shoving everything in her being that was telling her to run aside, she nodded. Connie quickly wrapped her arms around the mermaid just above Steven's. With Connie they quickly balanced out the weight of this aquatic creature in there arms. They moved a bit slower then there pace outside but they soon had Pearl in the bathroom. The kids helped sit her down on the edge of the tub. Both were happy that the tub was fairly big.

Connie took over holding Pearl up as Steven started running the water. As her best friend put the drain plug in Connie had a thought. "Steven, Mermaids live in the ocean."

"Yea?"

"So wouldn't we need to put salt in the water?" Connie asked slightly losing her balance as Pearl went slack for a moment before grabbing onto the young girls shoulder. It concerned Connie how weak her grip was. "You said they could tolerate fresh water but maby she needs the salt to feel better. Maby it will help some of her wounds. The fresh water mite agitate her cuts."

"Here, I'll hold her and you grab the salt from the kitchen." Steven said making the water warm before standing and taking over holding Pearl "It should be where your mom left it."

Connie nodded and ran off. Steven was watching the water rise when he started hearing a slight clicking in his ear. He looked up to see Pearl looking down at him. He could feel her struggling for breath as she let out some clicks here and there.

"Don't worry about talking-ern-clicking right now." Steven said "Here, lets get you into the water."

"I got the salt!" Connie said running back into the bathroom. Both kids saw Pearl flinch pretty bad at Connie's volume "Oh, sorry Ma'am."

Connie walked up to Pearl's free side as she was reading the box "Is this considered kosher?"

"I don't think mermaid's follow Amish tradition, right Pearl?" Pearl looked confusingly at the pair. "I'll take that as a no."

Connie hummed for a moment before poring half the box into the water. They watched as the salt mixed with the rising water. After turning off the faucet both kids looked up at Pearl. She was barely hanging on to consciousness.

"Were going to help you into the tub ok?" Steven said.

Pearl was able to give a slight nod as her eyes slid closed. Steven and Connie both took an arm and slowly leaned Pearl back. They helped her sit down backwards into the tub before moving her to the top. Steven helped adjust her head so it was resting on the edge of the tub as Connie gently eased Pearl's legs into the water. Steven then grabbed a towel and after putting it under Pearl's head, he realized that she was no longer with them.

"You think shes going to be ok?" Steven asked softly as Pearl started to glow. She glowed for only a moment before her tail was visible in the tub. They could see the damage done just at the base of her tail and all the little cuts and scrapes up to her hips and it worried them. "She's not really moving..."

"Whatever happened must of been bad Steven." Connie said looking the mermaid over "Especially since her pod is fairly big."

"Do you think they turned on her?" That thought made him feel sick.

"No, mermaids don't typically turn on each other unless they break one of there laws. Considering Pearl here can only talk threw clicks then they have forgone one of them to keep her around."

"What law is that? That they would throw her out?"

"Well, when a mermaid falls in love with someone it is a very strong bond. If the person they love doesn't love them back... They lose there voice and become a siren."

"I thought sirens and mermaids were the same thing."

"Technically yes. They _are_ the same species but sirens are out-casted where as mermaids keep together in pods. What I've read of the old aquatic laws in my mothers study, which is very limited by the way, that when a mermaid became a siren they were casted out. From there they were to live in exile till the end of there days. Most of the time the pod they were casted from would hunt them down and either kill them or, in rare instances, would cast them upon the land and banish them from the sea with a curse." Connie reached over and brushed some of Pearl's hair from her face to look at her features better "She's lucky to be alive."

"The big scary one, Jasper I think was her name, was very protective of her when I met them. She was always right there and when Pearl came up on the rock to talk to me she made sure that I could see her and that she didn't like or trust me."

"She must be a guardian then." Connie said.

"Guardian?" Steven looked at his best friend funny and she rolled her eyes playfully at him.

"Honestly Steven did your mom tell you anything useful about Pearl's species?"

"No, it was mainly stories of there encounters and the things they brought her."

" _Well_ , Guardians are the protectors of there pods. There deemed the strongest and toughest within there groups and are charged with keeping them all safe be it from predators or hunters. Guardians were the first to fall during the war... They earned there titles from there ancestors of old so Jasper must be one, if not the only, remaining guardian from that time or one of the few blessed with the title before the ancients passing's."

"There was one named, uh, Garnet who did the same thing as Jasper, specially when I showed the the cursed shell."

"Wow, her pod must be very special indeed."

"Whys that?"

"Not only do they keep a siren in there company but they have two guardians. Smaller pods like theirs would either have a bender or a guardian with them, never both and especially not three."

"Bender?"

"Someone who can control the water around them much better then the others of there kind."

"Ah."

"So there pod is not only big by today's legends but having two anomaly's within there group is a blessing and a curse."

"How?"

"Its a blessing because they all can stick together and take on anything with all there abilities to there advantage... Its a curse because once there found it will be next to impossible for them all to escape. Mermaids are creatures of habit and form. They wont abandon each other with out great force."

"What dose this mean for Pearl?"

"Who ever did this to her knew how to find her pod." Connie looked Steven dead in the eye as she spoke. "And whatever happened was so bad, that she came to a place she can't survive for help."

"What do we do?" Steven said looking to the sleeping mermaid in his tub. "We can't take her back to the sea without being seen and she can't live in my bathtub full of store bought salt."

"We do the smart thing." Connie said pulling out her phone "We call my mom."

**Bottom of Challenger Deep, sealed off cave**

The bruises littering Jasper's arms were just as apparent as the ones on Garnet's. The only difference was that Garnet had stopped slamming herself into the crystals. She was trying to meditate, find her center. She was just as shaken up as the others but a calm head was going to get them out of this faster then a panicked one. If only the others would listen. Amethyst was sniffling off in a corner, Peridot and Sapphire were still trying to get the runes on the walls to listen to them while Blue, Ruby, and Lapis were manipulating the water around them to try and break threw the magic to no avail.

"Jasper." Garnet said "Stop."

"We need to get out." Jasper growled.

"Hurting yourself isn't going to help anyone."

"I can't feel her." Jasper growled more as she doubled her efforts "Garnet, I can't _feel_ her! I can't feel anything! She screamed so loud and her cry... They were hurting her! Grr what kind of guardian am I if _**I can't even protect one of us**_!"

"Who ever that was knew where the heart was." Sapphire said with her voice slightly shaking "We all saw them unlock one of the runes Pearl activated in her panic. We saw her before Pearl sealed us in here, be it by accident, but they _knew_."

"Do you think shes an siren?" Ruby asked. "Or one of _theirs_?"

"Highly unlikely." Peridot said giving up and crossing her arms, staring down the red runes around her like it would help "If she was she would be with bi-ern- _her_. No if she was a siren she wouldn't of had a voice and anyway, if she was with _them_ we would of felt the power shift."

"It _did_ shift." Jasper said punching the closest crystal "Pearl was the first person to feel it. She knew something was wrong and she paid for it!"

"Who could possibly have power like that to fool us all like this. I thought we were the only benders and guardians left." Lapis spat throwing her hands up in frustration "Ugh these things aren't moving!"

"We _are_ all that's left." Peridot said "Other mermaids that swim the seas are so few in numbers and trust that they prefer to travel alone."

"How many is that?" Ruby asked peeking between the tops of the crystals to look at Blue who just shrugged.

"About seven." She answered softly.

"All this talking isn't helping us get _out_." Jasper snapped.

"Neither is being rude." Lapis snapped back.

"We need to take a step back and look at all our options. All the info we have about our situation, so we can find a solution." Garnet said.

The bigger mermaid growled but stopped hitting everything and took a breath. Jasper closed her eyes for a moment to calm her mind before opening them again.

"Alright." She said after a few moments of silence "What do we know so far."

"The cave." Garnet said.

"The cave lit up and went red when Pearl brushed the runes on the way out." Peridot said starting to tick off reason. "The heart felt attacked when the spear cracked a rune. The crystals activated to protect, and unintentionally trap, us in here."

"We can't deactivate the runes. Since Pearl is the main guardian of the heart it is a safe bet to think she is the only one who can get all of these crystals to go away." Sapphire said.

"The person who attacked us." Garnet said.

"They knew about us." Blue said softly "They knew where the heart was but must of been surprised to see it not sealed off and alone."

"They couldn't get in here and when the crystals came out they yelled at Pearl to make them go away." Ruby said "Pearl saying no must of made them really mad."

"They know how to use the runes but can't get inside." Sapphire said with a hymn "Maby they attacked Pearl to try and force her to open the cave back up but since its a safe bet to think that Pearl had no idea how she did this it would of been fruitless."

"It's all my fault..." Amethyst's quiet voice had the others pause "I-If I hadn't fallen asleep then I would of seen our attacker before she could of hurt her."

"Amethyst-"

"It's my fault Pearl got hurt and is now gone! It's my fault were trapped in here!" Amethyst's voice cracked as she yelled "God I mess up everything!"

"Its not your fault Amethyst." Garnet said as Jasper swam over and looked threw the breaks in the crystal to see the other mermaid curled up against the caves floor.

"It is!"

"Whoever this is was strong enough to hide the shift in the seas power from us. They must not of known how strong Pearl's connection to the seas chaos is, or that she was even here."

"By the way she straight up attacked her she must not of known the rest of us were here." Sapphire added.

"Look at me." Jasper said. The command in her voice had the smaller mermaid look up with her with tear filled eyes. "Its _not_ your fault."

"She screamed so loud..."

"C'mon minnow." Jasper said with a smirk she couldn't get behind "Pearl's strong. Do you think she would of let them take her down so easily?" Amethyst shook her head no and Jasper continued "Besides with all the shouting from earlier its clear Pearl got away so whoever is out there trying to get in probably is out trying to find her instead."

"... Which means were alone." Sapphire said with a spark in her voice. "If there not out there anymore then we mite be able to get out."

"How?"Ruby asked.

All the mermaids swam up to the top of the cave and looked threw the cracks in the crystals in-bedded into the roof in there little sections to see the ice blue of Sapphire's hair and tail swimming back and forth.

"Before _she_ got banished she would talk to me about the runes on the walls. What they did, what they stood for. Most of them are for protection and safety for the heart and harmony for those who protect it but-" Sapphire said pointing out certain runes "Some were used for travel."

"Travel?" Lapis said confused "Like fast swimming?"

"Try teleportation." Sapphire answered. "When the elders and councils of the seven seas used to meet they used special runes to teleport to one place. It would save them time on travel and reduce the risk of being attacked when passing threw and by dangerous areas of the seas."

"Do you think you can get us out of here?" Lapis asked.

"Not all at once." Sapphire said "With everything the way it is I mite be able to only get one of us out."

"Can you do it though?" Jasper asked swimming a bit to the side following Sapphire's pace. "Can you get one of us out?"

Sapphire was silent as she stopped moving. She was studying one of the runes very closely before she nodded "Yes but."

"But?"

"I'm not sure where you'll end up. You could be sent right outside the cave or half way across the ocean."

"That's a big jump since the runes are all red." Blue added.

"Look, I don't care about the risks." Jasper growled "Send me."

"Jasper-"

"I have to find her." Jasper growled cutting Garnet off "It's my duty to keep our pod together and safe. If Pearl's out there and hurt I need to find her to bring her back."

"Are you sure?" Sapphire asked looking at the big mermaid several crystal walls away. "I can't promise you'll be ok once your out of here."

"More then sure." She said with confidence.

With a nod Sapphire told her to find her center. "Clear your mind and think of nothing. Once you find that balance think of a place. A singular place that is safe in your eyes that I can send you."

Jasper frowned with her eyes closed. Finding her center wasn't hard. Her and Garnet would meditate all the time when they felt the peace in the water around them. Thinking of a safe place was the problem. This cave _was_ there safe place. There pod never swam far from the heart most days. The seas weren't a safe place for them since the war so travel was not only risky but suicidal in its own sense. Since coming into this pod there were few places they found safe and even fewer she felt going to alone. However, there was only one place she could think of that would be safer then anything else at this time. Even if she despised going there.

"Got it." She said.

"Good now keep that place in your mind." Sapphire said as she placed a hand on the selected rune while the other pointed a finger as Jasper. "Focus all your thoughts on that place."

Sapphire's eyes started to glow a light blue as the rune under hand started to respond. The red it glowed started to fade into its resting blue glow before turning towards white. The small mermaid started murmuring hushed words of old and within the blink of an eye Jasper was gone.

"Did it work?" Ruby asked swimming around a bit trying to see.

"Shes not here." Garnet said looking through the crystals.

"Hopefully she made it to her destination." Sapphire said.

"Hopefully it wasn't too far." Blue said.

"Knowing Jasper she landed right where she wanted to be." Peridot said.

And they were right. When Jasper opened her eyes again she was floating just at the bottom of the lagoon, the shirt Pearl had worn to meet Steven and Greg tight in her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

When Connie's mom didn't answer there call they weren't surprised. The doctor tended not to answer while she was shifted or traveling. Same could be said when she was deep in her study or working on something important. They knew she would call back in time so this left them all in the bathroom for Greg to find. He was surprised to see the car-wash was barricaded but even more so when he opened the bathroom door to see the kids laying together on the floor, his old baseball bat in Connie's hands.

"Hey guys." Greg said opening the door and taking a step into the room "Why are you sleeping in the bathroom...with a _mermaid_?!"

His loud voice startled everyone in the bathroom. Both kids jumped up with a yell, ready to swing the bat, while Pearl jumped so bad she flailed in the tub with a startled yelp. With the sleep washed out of there bodies suddenly by cold water covering them head to toe everyone froze. Both kids looked at Greg then each-other while he was looking between the kids and the mermaid in the tub who was death gripping the porcelain edges so hard she cracked the mold.

"Ok." Greg said putting his hands up for a moment "Why is there a mermaid in our tub?"

"She showed up last night." Steven said "She was hurt real bad."

"Like she had been attacked." Connie added.

"But we can't understand her clicking to find out what happened."

"Or what she needs."

"So we brought her in and put her in the tub with salt."

"Then we called my mom to ask her what to do but she didn't answer so we waited in here for her call but we must of fallen asleep."

"Ok... So why was the house barricaded like a zombie apocalypse is going on?" Greg asked next.

"I felt like we were being watched when we went outside." Connie said "So when we brought Pearl in I barricaded everything."

"Ok...Ok" Greg said running his hands over his face "Connie try calling your mom again after you get some dry cloths on."

"Yes Mr. Universe." Connie said leaving the bathroom.

Greg watched until he saw Steven's door shut to look to his son. "Are you hurt?"

"No, but Pearl is." Steven said looked at the mermaid, who was still a bit frozen in shock.

"Hey, um, Pearl, Are you ok?" Greg asked her. When she didn't move or answer Greg looked at his son. "Here, I'll go get you some dry cloths stu-ball. Just stay in here with her ok?"

"Ok." Steven said. As his dad left he looked to Pearl who was watching Greg leave. "Are you ok Pearl?"

When she looked at him Steven could see how tired she looked. She was pressed up against the far side of the tub. Her arms were wrapped around her ribs like she was protecting herself. She looked worse for wear but better then she did when they found her. The small cuts that littered her form were shallow scars now. The deep one on her tail was still pretty bad looking but was closed. Steven couldn't see the one on her ribs but he guessed that was the same.

"Did the salt in the water help?" When Pearl nodded slightly he smiled "That's good. I was worried that it wasn't going to help."

Pearl blinked and clicked softly at Steven who looked at her with a bit of guilt. "I'm sorry Pearl. I really can't understand your clicking."

"Pearl's clicking?" Greg suddenly coming into the bathroom made Pearl jump and him apologize after "Wait, I mite know how to talk to you. Here's your cloths Steven and a shirt for Pearl. Take her to the living room when your changed ok? I'll meet you in there."

Greg quickly handed Steven his cloths and left the room again. Steven looked at his cloths before looking at Pearl. He turned a bit red when Pearl tilted her head to the side.

"Can you cover your eyes for me?" Steven said "I, um, I'll be quick." When Pearl tilted her head the other way in confusion Steven walked up to the tub and held out his hands. Pearl hesitated at first but slowly put her hands in his. "Like this." He said as he slowly moved her hands to cover her eyes. "Good, now keep them right there for a minute ok?"

It took about ten minutes to change, six of which were Steven putting Pearl's hands back over her eyes when she started to move them, before he was fully changed into dry cloths. After he was done he gently took Pearl's hands and took them from her face. He chuckled a bit at her expression. Pearl herself looked utterly surprised. She didn't understand the new cloths Steven was wearing or how he had gotten them on and the dry ones off. She watched as Steven took his wet cloths and put them in a basket next to the tub. Her eyes followed him as he went back across the bathroom and address the shifting girl from earlier. "Did she answer?"

"No so I left another encrypted voicemail." Connie said.

"Why do you encrypt them again?" Steven asked picking up the big shirt his dad had left for Pearl to put on.

"In case anyone hacks into our phones." Connie said "If your mom was keeping a low profile on her aquatic friend here and her pod then its safe to bet that someone was looking for them."

"Specially after all that with the shell and junk..." Steven looked at the shirt in his hand before turning to Pearl "Are you strong enough to be able to shift back to legs?"

Pearl looked at the kids before looking at her tail. She shifted herself in the tub and propped herself up on edge a bit so she could fully stretch herself out. Pearl frowned a bit as she took herself in. She looked battered with bruises littering her arms and a deep bruise across her chest and the palms of her hands where her spear was held against her. The small cuts all over her body were all just dark lines now. The deep wound on her tail and side were still dark and nasty looking but they were no longer bleeding and were also closed up. She was thankful the kids thought to put salt in the water for her. It really did help her body heal faster then it would of in fresh water or, worse yet, if she had been left out in the rain. Just sitting out there she was barely awake. She didn't remember reaching the lagoon or making it all the way here. All she remembered was swimming towards the beach and feeling such a strong magical pull that she didn't think about her own safety as she got out of the water and walked towards its source. Shes just so thankful that it was here that the magic was pulling her too and not somewhere horrible.

With a breath Pearl pulled herself up fully to sit on the edge of the tub. After flexing her tail she swung herself around and soon her feet were brushing the mat below her. From here she could see that the damage done to her tail only transferred onto one leg, right on her ankle. With a small smile she looked to Steven and nodded. Steven smiled back at her and offered her the shirt. Pearl took it and held it up to figure out which part was the bottom. After a bit of help from the kids Pearl had the shirt on and was looking it over. It was a baggy blue shirt with a gold star on it. Both kids watched as Pearl pulled the shirt from herself a bit to look at the star. She even poked it.

"Do you like it?" Steven asked. When Pearl looked up with a smile a nodded the kids smiled back. "That's good."

"We should get into the living room." Connie said looking out the bathroom door. "I can hear your dad muttering to himself out there."

With small giggles the kids looked to Pearl "Do you need help walking?" Steven asked.

Pearl looked at herself and slowly got to her feet. Her left ankle gave a bit from her wound but she quickly corrected her posture to stand upright. One she was sure she would be ok she looked to Steven and nodded. Steven smiled and as Connie left the room Steven offered Pearl his hand.

"It's ok." Steven said as Pearl just looked at him. "I just wanna hold your hand. You don't know the way around our house and if you need help walking I wanna be the one to help."

 _Sweet, isn't he?_ Pearl thought as she slowly reached out and took Steven's hand. The smile on his face got bigger and made Pearl smile a bit more in return. She could see bits of his mom in his smile. The kindness he had towards them at the lagoon and even more so now with helping her. He was such a sweet boy. Pearl never had much interest in humans before meeting Rose. She found them quite annoying but she couldn't help but follow this little boy. There wasn't a single bad bone in his body.

Steven guided Pearl out of the bathroom and to the living room. Greg was sitting on one of the chairs while Connie was perched on the arm reading over his shoulder. They both were looking intensely at a beat up book Greg had in his hand when the pair made it to the sofa. Steven had to show Pearl that sitting on the sofa was ok and not going to hurt her before she sat down next to him.

"Ok, Pearl." Greg said looking up from the book "I-Oh that shirt does look good on you. I knew blue was your color."

Pearl clicked gently and Greg smiled "Your welcome."

"Wait, you understood her?" Steven asked leaning forward in his seat. Pearl hadn't let go of his hand and she could feel his grip tighten a bit. Pearl stiffened in response but the excitement plastered across Steven's face confused her. Doing a quick look around she concluded that they weren't in danger so he must just be excited.

"Kinda." Greg answered to his son "This book was something your mother gave me before she passed. She said if I ever need to talk to _them_ " Greg nodded at Pearl "That I would need to at least know the basics of clicking. Your mother always said I should learn but I never looked at it after she... Well its good that I still have it."

"So its like a study guild to learn how to talk to Pearl." Connie said "Or at the very least understand her."

"There's not much here Connie. I wouldn't classify it as a study guild." Greg said "So Pearl, what happened?"

The three of them looked to the mermaid and the mermaid just looked right back. Pearl had no desire to even talk to Greg, let alone tell him what had happened. The only person she was willing to talk to was Steven and even that was a stretch. She trusted them with more trust then she had with anyone since...

"Pearl." Steven said squeezing her hand slightly to get her to look at him "Why did you come here?"

Pearl looked at him for a few moments before she gently started clicking. She tried to keep her answer short since Greg was the one trying to translate for her. Said person was grumbling as he flipped threw the notebook before Connie took it from him.

"Hey-"

"She said she was... attacked. Right Pearl?" Connie said looking up. Pearl blinked in surprise and nodded her head. Connie looked proud and Pearl just was baffled. Pearl clicked a bit more and this time it took Connie a bit to translate. "Yes. Um, I'm getting most of the words except for a few... But lets keep going. If I can't keep up I'll just tell you to stop so I can."

"Wait, we need a system that will help for simple yes and no questions." Steven said turning to Pearl. "Something better then nodding your head."

"Like thumbs!" Connie said.

"Would that be ok?" Steven asked Pearl. She was very confused on what they were talking about but it didn't seem dangerous, especially since both kids were enthusiastic about it and Greg wasn't stopping them, so Pearl nodded.

"OK." Steven said raising his hand that wasn't holding Pearl's "Can you do this?"

Steven gave Pearl a thumbs up and he almost laughed at her expression. Poor Pearl looked really confused. She took her free hand and poked Steven's thumb. He held his tongue as her fingers danced over his hand. She would gently grab his wrist and rotate his hand before letting go. Pearl looked at her own hand, then Steven's, then back. She closed her hand slowly and held it just like his, a proud smile on her face for figuring it out. "You did it!"

Pearl flinched slightly "Sorry. Ok, Thumbs up like this is for answers that are yes or good and" Steven turned his thumb to face down "This is for no or bad. Is that easy for you Pearl?"

Pearl watched him flip his hand and she did the same. She turned her thumb up and down a few times before looking up at Steven again. She looked at her thumb and them held it up to Steven giving her answer.

"Good." Steven said smiling wide "This way you don't have to use too much energy or struggle to give us answers."

"Speaking of energy, Did the salt in the water help?" Connie asked. Pearl blinked looking at her before giving her a thumbs up "Oh good. We were worried that it wouldn't."

"Pearl, you said you were attacked. Did... Did you pod hurt you?" Steven asked.

Pearl looked at him in horror before thinking it over while giving a thumbs down. She turned up at his place here beaten pretty badly and bleeding everywhere practically. She was barely conscious when she stumbled her way through this, she think Rose called it a town once, before coming here.

"Did your pod get hurt like you?" Connie asked.

Thumbs down.

"Pearl." Steven asked getting her attention. "Do you know who attacked you?"

Thumbs down.

"It will be ok Pearl." Steven said with a confidant smile "Your safe here. No-one will hurt you long as your with us."

"Yea and when my mom calls me back she will know what to do to help you and your pod." Connie added.

"She will?"

"She knows more about them then we do and can probably find an easier way to talk to Pearl."

"Now hold on guys." Greg said speaking up. "There is probably something going on that's more then any of us possibly could understand. Pearl you being here is reason enough to assume whoever attacked you is probably still coming after you." Greg looked at her seriously "Which mean the car-wash isn't a safe place for you."

"But going with that logic the sea probably isn't any better." Connie said "If they followed her then she can't go back."

"But she can't stay on land for more then a day." Steven said "Amethyst said being in a bathtub could buy them a few hours more on land but there still on a time limit."

"And we don't know how long it took you to get here from the sea." Connie said.

"Pearl." Greg said "Do you know how much longer you have on land before your times up?"

Pearl frowned and gave a thumbs down. She doesn't know how long it took her to get here or how long she was asleep for in the tub. She wasn't even sure if the salt in the tub counted towards more time like fresh water. Not to mention she didn't even take into consideration that she mite of been followed. After getting out of the current she couldn't remember much.

"What happens... when you _don't_ get back into the water in time." Connie asked slowly. Pearl just looked at her and just clicked once. No-one needed a translation. The haunted look on the mermaids face was enough of an answer.

Death.

"Ok." Greg ran his hands over his face before taking a breath and standing. "Ok, here's what were going to do. Were all going to go get in the van and go down to the boardwalk. I'll go to the lagoon and make sure its safe while you three hang on the boards. When I know its clear we'll bring Pearl there and get her in the water. From there will figure out what to do but Pearl, you mite have to stay with us for a bit while we figure out what to do. I know its not ideal and you don't like being up on land but its the best we can do until we figure out whats gong on. Is that ok?"

Pearl frowned. She didn't like that plan at all. She knew she needed to get back in the water and to her pod but she was afraid. She was afraid that whoever attacked her could be waiting for her. She feared for her pods safety. She saw the cave disappear and felt disconnected from them. She felt so alone and vulnerable. Her wounds weren't fully healed and she knew she was at a disadvantage on or off land. Especially if she was attacked again. Pearl was unhappy but saw no other option then to trust these three. They have done nothing but help her and have no ill intent towards her, plus her options were very limited.

Reluctantly she gave a thumbs up.

"Good." Greg said "I'll go make room in the van and meet you guys out front in a few minutes."

"Ok dad."

As Greg left out the front door both kids looked to Pearl. "Ya know, the shirt looks like a dress on you." Steven said.

"It's missing something though." Connie said putting the book in her hands down and getting to her feet "But I have something that mite fix that in my bag."

As Connie walked off Pearl looked at Steven funny. The boy just smiled up at her "It's nothing bad, don't worry."

Pearl simply nodded and they waited for Connie to get back. When she did she was holding a blue scarf in her hands. "This will help you look like your actually in a dress instead of just a big t-shirt." She said holding the scarf up. "May I put this on you?"

Pearl leaned back as Connie held the scarf out a bit. She eyed it wearily and slowly reached out to touch it. It felt soft but itchy under her fingers. She supposed as long as it didn't touch her skin it should be fine. The kids haven't done anything to hurt her so she decided that this would be ok. Pearl nodded slightly and Connie asked her to stand. Once she did Connie told her to put her arms out. She didn't understand.

"Like this." Steven said standing next to her and raising his arms out at his sides.

"The Scarf is going to go like this." Connie said demonstrating on Steven. Pearl tilted her head a bit and gave a thumbs up before copying Steven's pose. Connie smiled and carefully wrapped the scarf around Pearl's stomach. The mermaids eyes didn't leave Connie's form as the small girl tied a pretty bow in the back to keep the scarf up. "There we go! Hows that?"

Pearl looked down and touched the scarf gently. It wasn't hurting her and made this shirt feel less weird on her body. She liked it well enough. Also if she suddenly had to get in the water she could shift out her tail and the shirt would still be ok to return after.

She gave a thumbs up.

"Good. Lets go see if my dads ready." Steven offered Pearl his hand.

"But first." Connie said making them pause. "Lets wrap your ankle up Pearl."

**Challenger Deep, Heart of the Sea**

The pod left in the cave had found there center by now and had calmed down enough to think on there situation more. They were still trapped but not hurt or being hurt. Silence filled the water around them and the runes had dulled slightly in there glow but were still red. Garnet was still sitting on the cave floor and meditating, Amethyst had stopped beating herself up and was just quiet, Peridot was floating on her back staring up at the cave ceiling like it offended her while Ruby and Blue had been having a quiet conversation for some time. Lapis was the only one still outwardly growling to herself but made no move to break the calm silence around her. Sapphire was the only one still moving. She kept going back and forth. She was reading every rune she could see and touch every one she could reach.

"You've been at that forever." Lapis said wrapping her arms around the crystal tops to idly watch the smaller mermaid swim back and forth "What are you doing?"

"She's listening." Garnet said.

"Listening?"

"Each rune makes a special sound when I touch them." Sapphire said "I'm listening to the ones that are responding to my touch now."

"Are you getting an answer?" Lapis asked sarcastically and got a slight glare from the light blue mermaid in turn.

"Not the answers I want." Sapphire said dryly "They don't want to answer me. I'm not who they want to respond to."

"Wait." Peridot said twisting around to look in Sapphire's direction "Are you suggesting we..."

"Yes."

"We do what?" Lapis asked "Who will they answer too?"

"Hold on." Amethyst said speaking up "You don't mean?"

"I'm afraid I do." Sapphire said. "Were going to have to call _her_."

"Is there another way?" Garnet asked opening her eyes. "Any other way?"

"If there was I would of found it by now." Peridot said "But as far as things go now we don't have another choice."

"What about Pearl and Jasper?" Blue asked softly coming into the conversation. "Shouldn't we wait for them?"

"Even if they did make it back to us it's a safe bet that Pearl has no idea how to make all of this-" Sapphire gestured around her "Go away. Pearl was never shone how to do anything with the runes like me and Peridot were. Shes not a Reader like us."

"So _she_ is the only one who is going to be able to help us." Ruby said.

"If she wants to help us." Amethyst grumbled crossing her arms "Wasn't exactly a positive note we left her on."

"I'm confused." Lapis said "There's someone out there who can help us and your all afraid of her?"

"Not afraid but weary." Peridot said.

"She... We..." Amethyst took a breath "She did something bad to me, Garnet, Jasper and Pearl. Especially to Jasper and Pearl, before the rest of you joined us Lapis."

"I only know second hand from Jasper what happened." Peridot said softly "It wasn't pleasant and its not something the two of them want to talk about anymore then Garnet and Amethyst."

"Will she come if you call her?" Lapis asked

"I can only hope she isn't too mad still to want to help us if I do." Sapphire said.

"And if she is?"

"She will come and kill us."

"Oh, is that all." Lapis said throwing her hands up " _Fantastic._ I'm just loving this plan guys. _"_

"Call her." Garnet said after a few minutes of silence.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked. "I'm not questioning your Guardian status Garnet but is it really safe for us to call her? I don't want any of us, especially the two of you, to get hurt again..."

"If she does try she has to get through me first." Garnet said "I won't be caught off guard like last time."

Sapphire hummed and floated to the center of her little section. She touched all her fingertips together and turned her hands face down. She lined herself up under a specific rune and closed her eyes. The others watched intensely from where they could see. The mark on Sapphire's hand, symbolizing her as a mermaid and reader, started to glow white. Soon within her hands formed a light blue orb. Sapphire took a deep breath as soon a song filled the cave. It wasn't a song with words or of happiness.

It was a plea for help. A cry for there kin to come to there aide. To come protect the heart where they cannot. They can only hope that _she_ would answer there call.

"The way you all talk about her..." Lapis said watching as a single rune glowed a deep green for a moment before Sapphire's song finished and the orb in her hands disappeared into the eathers "If were going to meet her, I want a name to put to a face."

The others looked around at each-other before Amethyst spoke up.

"It's Bismuth."

Somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle, in a massive twist of ships and planes on the ocean floor, a single blue orb appeared. The only living thing in the wrecks of the long forgotten listened to the message with cold dead eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

The ride over to the boardwalk was an interesting one. Not only did it take several try's to get Pearl to sit in the back of the van with the kids, but then several more try's to get her to stay in the van after. Driving, however, was such a scary thing to the mermaid the kids literally sat on her to keep her still. The whole time apologizing and Steven almost crying.

Pearl was scared beyond belief. She understood the kids were just trying to help and calm her down but once they got to the beach and out of the van, she promptly stomped her foot and clicked out a string of words that would make even a sailor blush. No-one even wanted to try and translate what she was saying but walking back to the car-wash was going to be in everyone's best interest. No-one wanted to get on the mermaids bad side and Pearl decided that anything that didn't have to do with walking or swimming was not something she would ever want to do again.

**EVER.**

"Here guys." Greg said handing Connie some money while Steven held Pearl's hand. "Go get something to eat and wait near the end of the boards for me ok? I'll be quick."

Greg headed off and left the three of them to there own devices. The kids were thinking of what to do to kill time when Pearl tugged on Steven's hand.

"What is it Pearl?" Steven asked. He followed Pearl's line of sight and saw her staring intensely at a food cart. More importantly, a food cart with cotton candy. "Did you want to try that?"

Pearl looked at Steven and tilted her head slightly and clicked a few times. Steven looked at Connie as she scrolled threw her phone. She had taken a picture of every page in Greg's book so she wouldn't have to bring it with them. "Um... Yes Pearl, its something you can eat."

"Then lets get some." Steven said pulling Pearl and Connie over to the cart. "This can be your first experience with human food and theirs nothing better to start with then candy!"

"Because nothing says healthy like sugar."

"Your mom isn't here to stop us Connie."

"True. OK, lets get some!"

After getting some cotton candy and a few other snacks, The three of them headed towards the end of the boardwalk. Steven went into the Big Donut and got them some drinks before rejoining them outside. From there Steven took them a bit away from everyone and to some boulders in the sand. They knew mermaids weren't fans of humans and being closer to the lagoon mite help Pearl feel better about being out of the water. Both kids perched themselves in the sand while Pearl just watched.

"You can sit Pearl." Steven said "Or if you don't want to sit in the sand you can sit on the boulders here. Whatever is more comfortable for you."

Pearl thought about it for a while and perched herself on the boulders.

"Ok Pearl." Steven said standing and holding out the cotton candy to her. "Here. Wait, you eat it like this."

Steven proceeded to take a peace of the fluffy sweet candy and popped it into his mouth. He looked like he was enjoying it but Pearl couldn't understand why. It looked like a mess of hair on a shell to her. _How can this stuff look appealing_ and _taste good?_ Pearl thought as she watched Connie take a peace and put it in her mouth like Steven. The 'candy' as the kids called it was just such a bright pink and blue like the shells near Antarctica. Pearl focused back on the kids when Steven held out a peace to her.

"Try it." He said with a smile. Pearl smiled in turn and took the peace from him. She frowned at the texture on her fingers but popped it in her mouth.

 _Oh sweet Neptune_! Pearl thought as her face scrunched up and her eyes turned blue then pink for a moment, mimicking the colors of the candy. She gagged a bit and waved her hand in the air. Good lord did it taste awful. Both Steven and Connie were laughing at Pearl's immense displeasure of the candy and tried to help her out.

"You don't have to swallow it!" Connie said "Just spit it out!"

"It's ok Pearl!" Steven said trying not to laugh but failing miserably "Just spit it into your hand. Quick! Before it completely dissolves!"

Pearl definitely did not want to spit this horror show into her hand. She simply leaned over and spit into the sand. She shook her head as the taste lingered in her mouth. Pearl fanned at her face like it would help and she frowned at the kids. She wasn't quite clicking but not quite growling either.

"I'm sorry Pearl." Steven said getting his act back together before smiling up at her. "Do you want some water?"

Pearl looked at the bottle Steven offered her and she quickly shook her head. Nothing on this planet made her want to ever try anything these two offered her again. She watched as Steven placed the drink next to her foot before opening another and taking a swing.

"Guess your not going to want to try the sour pops then." Connie said eating one. Pearl frowned and the kids just smiled at her. After a while the kids were showing Pearl what a sand castle was, with Pearl watching in fascination, when Greg made it back to them.

"H-Hey guys." Greg said getting the kids attention "Where's Pearl?"

They pointed to Pearl, who was bent over looking at the tiny door they had made into the sand castle. "Shes never seen a sandcastle before so we- oh h-hi there."

"Wow shes big." Connie said as Pearl sat up.

'Jasper!' Pearl clicked out excitedly. The bigger mermaid smiled at her and that's when Pearl realized she had Greg by the scruff of his shirt. Poor guy looked pretty scared but unharmed. Pearl stumbled her way around the sandcastle and Jasper tossed Greg aside in order to catch Pearl before she could fall.

'Where are you hurt? Do you understand how strong the smell of your blood is in the lagoon?' Jasper clicked holding Pearl out at arms length for a second before pulling her into her arms and holding her tight 'Did these _things_ do this too you?'

'No, no Jasper they didn't hurt me.' Pearl clicked hugging the taller mermaid back. 'They helped me and there called humans.'

'That's what I said.'

'No you didn't'

'What happened out there?' Jasper said running her hand through Pearl's hair looking at her 'After the cave sealed we couldn't see you. I couldn't _feel_ you. We feared that they caught you or worse-'

"Um, Pearl?" Steven asked bringing the Mermaids out of there conversation. "Is Jasper hurt bad like you?"

'Hurt bad?' Jasper looked confused 'How hurt are you?'

'I'm fine.' Pearl clicked giving Steven a thumbs down.

"Is she-"

"You ask a lot of questions for matters that don't concern you." Jasper growled out.

'Jasper!'

"You can talk?!" Steven said jumping to his feet with stars in his eyes, followed by an apology for making both aquatic beings jump something bad. He then took a small step back at Jasper's hard glare and slightly bared teeth. He forgot for a moment she was a Guardian and didn't want to piss her off.

"Well considering Pearl ended up at our place hurt pretty bad, it does concern us Jasper." Greg said getting up and brushing the sand from his pants "And I was at the lagoon to make sure it was safe for her before you jumped me by the way."

"It's safe." Jasper said "Or else I would of come up a different way."

"Then lets go!" Steven said as him and Connie quickly gathered there stuff from the sand. Jasper backed up half a step, pulling Pearl with her at there sudden movements "Pearl needs to be in the sea more then my tub and we need to think of a game plan."

"I can take her alone." Jasper said staring down the kids, who weren't intimidated in the slightest. "We don't need your help."

'Yes we do.' Pearl clicked. 'Jasper were out of our league with whats happening.'

"You do like it or not Jasper." Greg said "Your both here now without your pod and we need to find out whats going on. If it's not safe for you both in the sea then we need to find somewhere that is."

"Lets go to the lagoon." Steven said "Pearl needs to get back in the water Jasper. She doesn't know how long she been on land for and- hey wait up!"

Jasper had turned away the moment Steven said Pearl basically didn't have a time frame. She had bent down and picked Pearl up bridal style, the lesser squeaking in surprise. She didn't pause to wait for the others.

'Jasper, I'm quite able to walk on my own you know.' Pearl clicked wrapping her arms around Jasper's shoulders.

'What is this?' Jasper clicked tugging at the peace of the clothing she had on.

'That is a shirt.' Pearl said 'I must of left it in the water when we left the lagoon but it looks good on you.'

'Thanks.' Jasper said turning a bit red then suddenly turning to hide it with a cough. 'And this _thing_ you have on now?'

'Another shirt but this one is long... I think Steven called it a dress?' Pearl said a bit confused 'Speaking of, where are those three?'

'If were lucky not following us.' Jasper grumbled. Her frown turned into a small smile when Pearl kissed her cheek.

'Don't be rude.' Pearl said with a smile of her own.

'I'm happy your ok.' Jasper said touching her forehead to Pearl's gently. This was an intimate gesture in there kind and Pearl pressed back slightly with a chuckle 'It drove me crazy not being able to feel you.'

'I can only imagine how Blue feels right now.' Pearl said with a sigh 'I'm happy your ok too. I was so worried that I would never see you again.'

'Our bond is strong and your tie to the heart stronger.' Jasper said 'Nothing will take you down easy.'

Before Pearl could respond Jasper let out a low growl. "Ugh, your so fast." Steven said running up to Jasper's side and having to keep a slight jog to keep pace.

"Bet your the fastest in the water huh." Connie said coming up to the mermaids other side. "No-one would be able to keep up with you."

"Your like a super hero!" Steven jumped in excitement.

"With the power of like, a hundred wrestlers!"

"Like dog copter!"

"But in the water!"

Pearl giggled a bit as Jasper's chest puffed out at the praise. They both knew she wasn't the fastest in the water but they weren't about to correct the kids. Besides, them unintentionally buttering Jasper up a bit couldn't hurt. If anything it would make her a little more cooperative. Nothing made her more willing to at-least listen then a good stroke to her ego.

The kids kept asking question after question as they made there way across the sand. Pearl was trying to answer them the best she could with Jasper just grumbling and being no help at all and Connie trying to read and jog at the same time. Eventually they stopped when they came to the boulders and rocks hiding the lagoon. The kids didn't know where the entrance was and Jasper was a little embraced not remembering exactly how to get in. So, there solution, turn to Greg. Who was coming up behind them, winded to the dixens and sweating.

"Good lord your faster on land then I could of imagined." Greg wheezed climbing up next to them "Remind me never to challenge you to a swim contest."

"I'd drown you." Jasper huffed out as Pearl proceeded to smack her shoulder lightly. 'What? Its true.'

'Doesn't mean you need to say it.' Pearl clicked back 'We still need there help.'

"Never going to let it go, are you?" Greg grumbled on the way by. He took the lead as he navigated them to the hidden entrance. Once they got inside he lead the way down the ramp "So whats the plan-and there she goes."

The three of them watched as Jasper took two giant steps and jumped off the side of the ramp, plunging her and Pearl into the water below.

"She doesn't seem like one to listen." Connie said as they watched both mermaids glow for a few moments before kicking off further into the lagoon.

"She has it out for me more then Lapis." Greg said.

"Why?" Steven asked.

"The whole pod blames me for your mother passing. They don't want to except she is gone." Greg said looking at the pair in the water "That's why it took me so long to bring you here. I didn't want them to hurt you but I didn't want to give them hope about something that wasn't going to happen."

"Do... do they hate me?" Steven asked softly.

"Trust me son, if they did they would of killed you the first time you met them." Greg said smiling at the kids "And Pearl seems to like you well enough. That's approval enough for me."

"Whys that?" Connie asked.

"Believe it or not Pearl is the head of there pod." He said starting down the ramp.

"The head?!"

"But shes a siren." Connie said pulling Steven behind her to catch up with his dad. "By aquatic law they should of killed her, or at the very least out-casted her."

"There pod is a strange one." Greg said "There are alot of laws they should follow but don't."

"I wonder why." Connie thought allowed.

"It's not our place to ask them." Greg said looking back at the kids "They have a lot going on right now, not to mention whatever else is going on in the sea we can only imagine. If you want answers your going to have to wait for them to tell you. However, right now we need to find out whats going on."

Pearl squeaked pretty loud as Jasper jumped off the ramp. When they hit the water she couldn't help but laugh. She suddenly felt energized. The power of the sea zipped threw her and she glowed extra bright as her tail formed. The second she could move Pearl kicked back powerfully and shot through the water. She twisted this way and that before Jasper was able to get a hold of her.

'Pearl.' Jasper clicked pulling the smaller to a stop 'Just wait a second.'

'Sorry, sorry.' Pearl said turning and smiling 'I just-'

'What happened?!' Jasper pulled Pearl closer and yanked her arm up. Pearl forgot for a second that she had been really hurt. All the swimming in the water loosened the scarf Connie had tied around her and left her borrowed shirt free floating. This left all her wounds visible and Jasper was not happy. The bigger pulled the shirt off of Pearl and tossed it aside as she looked her over. 'What did they do to you? Did this happen outside the cave or when you got here? I'll drown those three faster then the tied if they-'

'Jasper no, this is from the cave.' Pearl said as Jasper twisted her this way and that to get a good look at every scar and wound she had. The more she saw the angrier she got, to the point where her eyes started to glow a faint orange 'Jasper just-ow!'

Jasper let go the second Pearl clicked in pain. 'I'm sorry! I'm just...' She circled Pearl slowly before spotting the base of her tail 'Does it hurt?'

'Not as much as it did.' Pearl said looked at her tail.

'What happened?' Jasper asked as her eyes started to dull there glow. 'Waking up to your scream was just...'

Pearl wrung her hands together as she spoke 'Well... I was going to check on Amethyst when I spotted the person who attacked me. They were just floating at the caves entrance and before I knew it I was chained and yanked out of the cave.' Pearl gestured at her tail 'Once out of the cave I saw it disappear... I couldn't feel any of you. I couldn't feel the heart! I was so scared.'

'That's because when you were pulled your hand brushed the runes on the wall.' Jasper replied 'The heart turned red then everything else started glowing red-'

'The heart glowed red and your still alive?!'

'The hearts defense was to shoot out crystals everywhere. We all got trapped in there. I'm only here because Sapphire was able to get a teleportation rune to work.'

'The others are still trapped?'

'Were hoping that you now how to get them out.'

'Jasper... I didn't even know the cave disappearing was my fault until you just told me.' Pearl said throwing her hands out 'I have no idea how to make them go away. I wasn't a designer... _She_ would be the only one-'

'No.' Jasper growled as her eyes shined bright again.

'I wouldn't even know where to begin.'

'We have to try something.' Jasper said 'Maby if you just try-'

'I wasn't made to be a designer or soul protector of the heart!' Pearl clicked loudly. 'I was made to be thrown away!'

"You were not meant to be thrown away!" Jasper yelled.

'Yes I was! The elders made that clear when it came time for me to learn of my purpose.'

"Fuck the elders!"

'Jasper!-'

"No!" Jasper snapped so loud that the water bubbled around them for a few moments "You are more then the damn purpose they gave you to be! Do you think I was meant to be a guardian any more then a drone just for keeping our kind alive?! Pearl." Jasper grabbed the smaller mermaids hands and pulled her close "You broke the mold and became one of the most powerful of our species and if your broken then so are the rest of us!" Pearl turned her face away and worried her bottom lip "None of us are how we were supposed to be. Each of us were casted out of our pods for different reasons and yet here we all are after the rest have gone."

"So as far as I can see, are flaws gave us the power to be stronger then the rest because were still here." Jasper ran her fingers through the smaller's hair.

'Not strong enough...' Pearl said wrapping her arms around herself but leaning forward to put her forehead against Jasper's. 'I don't even know how to get back into the cave if we made it back without being attacked again. _She_ is the only one left that would even remotely know how.'

'Sapphire has probably figured this out already and has sent a call out for her.' Pearl said as Jasper growled but pressed back into Pearl's touch and closed her eyes 'We'll be lucky if she comes to help without killing any of us off. Shes probably still mad at you.'

"Wouldn't surprise me." Jasper huffed out "I would still be pissed."

'We should head up.' Pearl said pulling back 'We have alot to talk to them about'

'I don't like this.' Jasper clicked reaching out into the water and pulling Pearl's borrowed shirt back to them 'That... _thing_ up there may be Rose's son but he isn't her. How do we know he isn't one of _them_.'

'We don't.' Pearl clicked as Jasper helped her back into the shirt 'But I trust him.'

'Why?'

'If he was one of _them_ he wouldn't of helped me the way he did. He wouldn't of brought me back here either.'

'And the other small thing with him. She isn't human, is she?'

'No shes not.' Pearl frowned taking Jasper's hand 'I'm not sure what she is though it is familiar. We'll just have to ask.'

'You mean _I'll_ have to ask.'

' _Translate_. You'll need to translate.'

'Same thing.'

Pearl smiled and squeezed Jasper's hand before starting there swim up. Greg and the kids had settled on the rocks like Steven and his dad did the first time. Connie had her nose to her phone again with her shoes off and feet in the water as the pair emerged. She looked up as Steven smiled. "Do you feel better now Pearl?"

Pearl nodded as she laid her arms on the rock but didn't pull herself out of the water. Jasper stuck very close to her side, her arm wrapped around Pearl under the waters surface. The bigger of the pair was staring down Connie. She tried not to say anything about the staring but it was getting uncomfortable fast. "Are my feet in the water bothering you? I can take them out."

"What are you?" Jasper asked. Pearl frowned and smacked her with her tail lightly getting an agitated look in return 'What? You said I had to ask since they can't understand you.'

"I can a little bit Jasper." Connie said getting a slightly startled look from the bigger mermaid "And I'm a shape-shifter."

'Whats your kin?' Pearl clicked.

Jasper didn't want to wait for Connie to try an translate so she did it for her "She wants to know your blood line."

"Blood line?"

'Kin Jasper.'

"Your Kin."

'Why didn't you just say that first?'

'I didn't think she would know what it was.'

"Oh. We were descendants from across the sea but came this way. Maheswaran is what we go by now but it was Maheys." Connie said.

"Maheys was your ancestors name right?" Jasper said "Your all still alive?"

"Three generations ago." Connie said "You mite know some of my ancestors."

"Pepper Maheys" Jasper said.

"That's my grandmother." Connie said. "She said she was part of the war, right at the end, with my mom."

"Her name was Pepper?" Steven asked a bit confused.

"Pepper was her nickname because no-one could pronounce her real name." Connie said closing the notebook.

'Peperinah' Pearl said.

"Wow, you said it!" Connie said excitedly leaning forward.

'How did you even _say_ that?'

'Practice.' Pearl clicked a bit smugly.

'I could never do that.'

'That's because you gave up after the first two try's.' Pearl clicked giggling at the grumble she got out of her bigger companion.

"I didn't think the war was that recent." Greg said looking off at the light filtering through the rocks. "Or that your family was _in_ it Connie."

"There are a lot of things about the war my mom won't tell me." Connie said "She said it was hard being apart of it. Even harder being on the losing side."

'I do remember her ancestor having a child with her the last time we saw her.' Pearl clicked 'It explains why she wasn't around when the final fight came to be.'

"She was. I fought along side her up towards the end." Jasper said. "The power your family has in shifting almost rivals ours in the water. It's impressive."

'Honestly we thought she was dead.' Pearl clicked to herself more then the others. When they looked to Jasper she just shrugged "We didn't know what happened to her."

'That's not what I said.'

'That's not something you tell others about a great warrior.' Jasper pointed out. Pearl could only shrug one shoulder in response. She was right.

"So." Greg said "I know you can't tell us everything, and I know you would tell even less to me, but what happened out there?" The pair in the water looked at each-other "How much danger are you in?"

"Enough." Jasper said.

"We guard something very special." Jasper translated as Pearl clicked "People are after what we guard."

"What you guard." Connie asked slowly "Is it...Is it the heart of the sea?"

"How did you know that?" Jasper growled pulling herself out of the water a bit to get closer, in turn made the three on the rocks lean back "Who told you?!"

"M-My mom had a book on it." Connie stuttered out "When we came over to help Steven get rid of the curse shell she showed us a few pages on the heart and the three original protectors of it."

The three of them were confused by the aquatics reactions. Jasper was pissed off but seemed frozen in place by terror while Pearl looked ready to cry while shaking in excitement? Horror? They couldn't really tell. The air felt too tense for them to move so they kinda just sat there for a bit until Pearl moved. Her shoulders slowly relaxed as she looked to Jasper. She reached out a gentle hand and guided her frozen form back into the water next to her. Under the surface her hand gently rubbed up and down the bigger mermaids arm until her giant hand took her smaller one in hers. She could feel the tension in her grip and the slight tremor rolling off her body.

'How much do you know about the heart?' Pearl clicked slowly for Connie to translate.

"Just that there were three protectors and the war started because one was killed, one went missing, and one left." Connie said.

Pearl nodded as Steven spoke up "On one of the pages there was a drawing of a giant pod swimming around the heart and a single mermaid under it. It looked like you Pearl."

Pearl glanced at Jasper to see her looking perplexed at her before it shifted to something more bitter. That was going to be a fun conversation later.

"So how are you the only one who got hurt?" Greg asked Pearl getting back on topic "Your not a, um, ya know."

"A guardian." Connie said.

"Thank you Connie." Greg said

"I was the only one they saw when they attacked." Jasper translated "If they saw the rest of the pod it was too late. The heart... Protected itself and saved the others from harm." Jasper then spoke for herself "We were all asleep and didn't get hurt when they attacked. Were pretty sure they didn't even know the rest of us were there."

"How did you get here without everyone else?" Connie asked confused "I thought pods never traveled alone like this."

"We don't." Jasper said before translating again "We never stray far from each other because we fear this very thing happening."

"Being alone?" Greg asked.

"Being hunted down." Jasper said.

"Do you think you were followed?" Steven asked. They all, except Pearl, jumped as Jasper quickly ducked under the wasters surface and darted off deep into the lagoon. "Did I say something wrong?"

Pearl shook her head. "Jasper is hunting, no, checking if I was followed or if we are being cat-watched." Connie translated. Pearl gave her a slightly sympathetic look as she gave her a thumbs up. It was a good try.

"Are you afraid you were followed?" Steven said "I don't want you to get hurt again."

Pearl shook her head and gave a thumbs down. She was worried about that yes but she also took into consideration that she would of been attacked by now if that were the case. The people who attacked her were aware of her being the soul protector of the heart so the weaker she was the easier it would be to catch her. She was thanking the stars in the sky's that she was able to get away and that they had not found her.

Jasper's re-appearance set worry into the group.

"You ready for another round on land?" Jasper asked Pearl "Or do you need more time?"

Pearl frowned at the way the Guardian wasn't looking at her. She kept looking at the entrance of the lagoon then around its edges. She had also positioned herself to be between her and the way out. Pearl knew the look and posture well and didn't hesitate on pulling herself out of the water. Jasper was right on her heals without moving her eyes from the darkness below.

'How many?' Pearl asked.

"How many?" Connie questioned "Are the people who attacked you close by?"

"There scouting party is just off the drop off to shore. About ten miles out." Jasper said "So we need to go. Now."

Greg didn't question as he got to his feet and pulled the kids to there's. "Are they mermaids like you both or-"

"Less talking, more walking." Jasper said ushering the whole group towards the ramp out. Pearl took her arm and without looking the Guardian could feel the worry flowing off her partner. She clicked quickly and quietly as they moved, too low for anyone outside the group to hear but fast enough for Connie not to be able to translate 'It's not going to take them long to find the lagoon. Were going to have to find another way into the sea.'

'How did they find me?' Pearl clicked. 'They didn't follow me when I hit a current and got swept away.'

'The smell of your blood saturated the water in a wide area leading here. For how bad you were hurt were lucky it took them this long to find where you went.'

Pearl's step faltered for a moment and Jasper didn't wait to ask if she was ok. The second they were out into the open air she picked Pearl up and perched her on her shoulder. The smaller mermaid didn't protest until Jasper picked up both kids and put them on her other shoulder.

'Jasper-'

'We don't have time for there small legs and small steps.' Jasper clicked out as her stride took them faster across the sand then Greg could run. 'We need to get off the shore and out of sight.'

'Ask Steven how to get back.'

"Which way to your safe place?" Jasper asked poking Steven in the leg.

"Oh, when we reach the boardwalk walk all the way down to the building with the big flashing light on the front and then turn right."

'I'm worried Jasper' Pearl clicked softly but quickly 'They tried so hard to stop me from getting away but they didn't chase me onto the land.'

'That is strange.' Jasper clicked back. 'They left after you got away and now they won't follow you up here. Maby they don't know which way you went.'

'What if they wanted me to get away?' Pearl said looking around worrying her bottom lip again 'What if-'

'Not now.' Jasper cut Pearl off with a gentle tap to the back of her hand before taking the smaller's in her own. 'Rest for now. Will figure it all out when we get to a safe place. You still need to recover and we need all the time we can get if this turns into a fight later.'

**Challenger Deep, Heart of the Sea**

It started off as an itch for Garnet. A small nagging feeling in the center of her being. Then her marks started to burn ever just enough to make her fingers twitch. Then the restlessness set in. She started to swim back and forth unable to meditate any longer. Garnet's unease didn't go un-noticed. The others picked up on it too. They started to feel the same way to different degrees. Every minute that passed the water seemed to get thicker with tension.

"Garnet." Sapphire said.

"She's close." Garnet said eyeing the closed off entrance.

"How can you tell?" Lapis asked.

"It's a Guardian thing." Ruby whispered.

"You need to breath." Sapphire said but Garnet could only click. She couldn't relax even if she tried. The very person who hurt them was coming to help them, or more likely, kill them. Poor Amethyst was fairing just as well as her. The others were just swimming back and forth a bit. Her and Amethyst were full on swimming circles. For Garnet it was the instinct of protection. For Amethyst it was the instinct of fear, to run. She wasn't around for what Bismuth exactly did but she had saw enough of the aftermath to know not to trust her. The fear and pain any time _she_ was mentioned by the pod who lived it would haunt her for years.

"Yea Guardian." A deep voice echoed through the cave "You need to relax."

Everyone stopped moving and the only sound that could be herd was Garnet's growls echoing off the crystals. A deep rumbling laugh echoed back in return and everyone but the remaining Guardian backed up as far as they could go.

"Look at the fins on you minnow! And here I thought you wouldn't figure out your head from your tail!"

"Bismuth." Sapphire said "You came."

"With such pitiful plea like that I had to see how the final "protectors" were holding down the fort." Bismuth said as a crack echoed into the pods ears. The water shifted and the walls shook. The Pod looked the best they could at the caves entrance. It seemed to vibrate and with a high pitched screech and boom, the crystals jutting out into the darkness fell away. "And it seems like you guys are more stuck then I thought you would get." The mermaid at the entrance laughed "You got yourself stuck pretty well didn't you?"

"Don't insult us!" Amethyst snapped "We were attacked!"

Coal black eyes glowed in the dark and the smaller mermaid shrunk back like she had been struck. This caused Garnet to growl loudly and slam herself into the crystals closest to Bismuth. She turned her eyes on the Guardian and it was a stare down until the silence was broken.

"We didn't call you to fight." Sapphire said "We need your help."

"Clearly." Bismuth said before pointing at Garnet "She doesn't quite get that though."

"Garnet, please." Sapphire said slightly pleading. "Your scaring them..."

Garnet's growls jumped down to a slow murmur as she glanced back at the rest of her pod then at Amethyst. She felt like hitting herself for how scared the smaller looked. Her hands balled into fists as she quieted down as best as she could.

"The Guardian listening to a Reader. Now I've seen everything." Bismuth boomed "What else have you lot messed up-"

"We were attacked!" Lapis snapped suddenly "Pearl is the reason were freaking stuck in here, we sent Jasper out to help her and Poseidon knows where they both are, and the people who attacked us knew about the heart!" Bismuth's face dropped "So are you going to help us or not!?"

"They knew about the heart?" She asked so small that they almost didn't hear her. "They knew you were all here?"

"N-No." Ruby said "No, no, no they didn't know we were here. They only saw Pearl and-"

Ruby stopped talking as Bismuth looked away. She raised a hand and whispered hushed words they couldn't decipher. They were words of calming and tranquility. Words of hushed silence and of lullaby's of old. The pod watched in awe as the runes one by one dulled there red glow. They bubbled and silently turn to there calming blue glow some thought they wouldn't see again. As the blue glow moved slowly across the cave the crystals started to glow. The mermaids pushed off them and swam to the center of there walled off parts. They watched as one by one the crystals vibrated and bubbled before retracting back into the walls and floor. The second the crystals had freed them from there grip the pod swam at each-other. They quickly made a big group and held onto each-other tightly, Garnet making sure to be between them and there unfortunate savior.

"What happened?" Bismuth asked. She frowned at the way Garnet was growling at her and she supplied her own in return "I'll put the crystals back and leave you here. Quit whining."

"Bismuth please." Sapphire said as Blue swam up and wrapped her arms around Garnet's shoulders. She gently clicked into her ear and Garnet in turn clicked back but swam backwards to be closer to the others. "We really need help."

"Then start talking icicle." Bismuth said crossing her arms. "What happened? This place doesn't get beat up like this from Pearl just getting in an argument. Speaking of, where is she and the big one. Better yet, don't tell me. Just where miss thin and nimble is."

"Someone who knew about the heart tried to come and take it." Sapphire said.

"That doesn't explain why your missing two key parts from your rag tag pod here." Bismuth said.

"They attacked Pearl." Garnet growled. "She must of surprised them when they came and they freaking attacked her!"

"Her scream is what woke us up." Blue said softly.

"By the time we realized what was going on we were trapped in here." Peridot said.

"She unintentionally saved us." Ruby said "But we couldn't save her."

"Bismuth. These people knew about the heart. One of them was one of _us_." Sapphire said coming a bit forward out of the group. Garnet in turn couldn't help but reach out and grab a hold of the smaller's wrist so she wouldn't go too far. "They attacked Pearl but she fought back. You hear the way the runes whisper to in the water. You can feel the way they bubble and glow." They watched as Bismuth frowned and touched one on the wall gently "I know you can see what happened through them. Bismuth." Sapphire yanked her arm away from Garnet's an swam right up to the last barrier in place. "I know you can see who attacked us so please."

Bismuth looked away past the whole pod to the heart beyond. It still glowed a slight red that didn't compliment its blue hue. It knew it's soul protector wasn't here. It knew she was in trouble. They all were. She didn't need to ask how bad everything was. The runes had told her everything she needed to know.

"We need help."

"Your coming with me." Bismuth said lowering the final magical barrier "All of you. I'm sealing the cave behind you. Only myself and Pearl will be able to open it back up." Once the barrier was down she backed up so they all could exit.

The pod hesitated at first but as soon as Sapphire kicked out of the cave they all bolted out faster then lightning across the waters surface. The younger's in the pod couldn't help but giggle at the freedom they suddenly had once more. They all swam this way and that quickly came back into one big group. Garnet was first to stop and take a place between her pod and Bismuth. The older knew the Guardian didn't trust her and it was a fair reaction, especially after there shared history.

One by one the pod fell into place. From here they finally took a good look around. They took in how most of the weapons they had collected over the years were broken in the sand below or sticking out of the walls of the deep. The body imprints just beyond them sent a cold shiver through the water. The chunks of rock missing and scattered about was shocking to the ones not use to battle.

"She put up one hell of a fight..." Ruby murmured to Garnet "Even Jasper doesn't have this much power and you two are matched head to head..."

"First thing were going to do is find you all a better hiding place." Bismuth said turning and sealing the cave. "Then were going to follow the lovely trail of silver to your missing peaces."

"Trail?" Lapis said.

"Take a deep breath and tell me what you smell." Bismuth said. The pod did and no-one wanted to answer. With a nod Bismuth started swimming up. "That's what I thought."

"Lets go. Its not safe to linger where enemy's lurk." The older mermaid said.

The pod hesitated until they almost lost sight of her tail disappearing into the darkness above. Garnet huffed once but kicked up after her. The others soon followed and soon they could feel the rocks settling into there stomachs. As the light of day started to filter into the water around them it reflected off all the silver droplets of blood in the water. The amount of shimmering around them made them swim faster to catch up with the last person they wanted to trust.

Reaching the top of Challengers Deep they all followed the silver trail in the water until they started down the Mariana Trench itself. Bismuth had taken a long way to get here. In her travel she had come across several ships and creatures not meant to be in the ocean with ill intent flowing off them heavily. She had to go back and take a more obscure route to the cave and she was happy she did. In all honesty if she would of come directly here by the shortest route possible, and she ran into all the blood in the water, she would of turn right around and gone back. The blood of another made most turn tail and run. Nothing spelled danger more then blood and lack of a body.

If it were anyone else who had called for help she would of said no right away, but Sapphire and Pearl had a soft spot on her heart. One smart and willing to learn and one becoming more then she was molded to be. She would be lying to herself if she wasn't at-least happy to see everyone. Well, as happy as one can be with a falling out. The main focus for Bismuth now was to find a safe place for there pod to hide and stay until they could get there two missing peaces back. She didn't want everyone to fall apart.

Not again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite part to write for this chapter was Pearl's reaction to the cotton candy. I love the idea of her power not really working like other mermaids and her having weird reactions to things, hence her eyes turning colors to the over powering sweetness of the candy.  
> Ok, I am all caught up on where I have written up too with this story. That being said, updates will be coming slower now as I type and since this story has a LOT of detail to it, along with the rules and such I have made for these Mermaids please be patient with me as we continue this journey together. Thank you for your comments on this guys! I love hearing your feedback.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop! here we go! I had fun making up the lore for there war. I had a bit of a hard time picking the three figures for the reason the war started.
> 
> For clarification:  
> Bella - Blue Diamond  
> Penny - Pink Diamond

Steven and Connie had to try very hard not to laugh at Jasper's reaction to seeing the car-wash for the first time. Her jaw had dropped in confusion and, in turn, she almost dropped everyone off her shoulders. After they had all gotten off the boardwalk and the van came into view Pearl started clicked in protest about getting inside again. Jasper hadn't understood why until Greg had started it and it moved. She had jumped so bad and kicked it so hard it left a nice indent in the back corner, locking one of the doors into place. Just the sound of it pulling up behind them into the car-wash made her jump even higher.

"This is where I live." Steven said to Jasper as the bigger mermaid eyed the van pulling up and turning off.

'I don't like that.' She clicked to Pearl.

'I don't either.' Pearl answered.

'You got to the beach in that?'

'Not willingly.'

Before Jasper could ask her what she meant Greg got out of the van and got there attention. "Ok Steven, explain to me why you needed a big bag of salt and a blow up pool?"

"Well I figured that they would both wanna sleep in water since Pearl is still hurt and I don't think they both will fit in the tub." Steven said looking after there two guests as Connie took them into the car-wash. "Dad I'm worried."

"I am too bud." Greg said walking around and opening the back of the van.

"Do you think it is safe for them here?" Steven asked walking up to his dad.

Greg frowned to himself as he pulled the salt out of the van and handed it to his son. He didn't like what was going on and even less that he didn't know everything. People out there where hunting down these two mermaids and they had come to them for help. They found a safe place but put him, his son, and Connie into direct danger. He didn't want to send them away but the kids safety came first. "I think its the safest place right now."

Greg took the big box out of the back and shut the van. "Go in and make sure there ok and stuff. Let them know where there going to be sleeping while I go set this up in the middle of the car-wash."

"Can we shut the front of the wash off? I don't think they will be too thrilled with a big way in and out."

"Yea, I'll pull the door down when I get this inside."

Steven nodded and ran inside.

Jasper was not impressed with the inside of the humans home. It was small and lacked water. Two things she didn't really like. The only thing really helping her was the magic she could feel. Just walking onto the property she could feel why Pearl was drawn here. The spells and enchantments covering this home were so strong and powerful that it was apparent it was in Connie's blood line, the one who used to stand side by side with them so long ago. Just standing in this field made her feel so much more safe then she should have.

Jasper was going to ask Pearl something but the smaller pulled away from her and to the small shifter. She automatically stood behind her protectively as the smaller knelt down in front of the child.

'Connie.' Pearl clicked slowly 'What's wrong?'

Pearl could see Connie didn't understand her but when she slowly reached up and wiped a tear from her eye she could see her holding onto her (she think she called it a 'cell phone') tightly. She was shaking as more tears fell down her face. "W-Where's Steven's dad?"

"Greg?" Jasper asked.

Connie gave her a watery nod but before she could do anything Steven ran in.

"Hey guys! I got- Connie! Whats wrong?!" Steven yelled. Both mermaids flinched at the volume as Pearl got to her feet and out of the way. Steven ran to his best friends side and grabbed her shoulders. "Why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

"I can't get a hold of my mom and I just got a voicemail from a number I don't know." Connie tried wiping her eyes but the tears were flowing too fast "Steven I'm scared. She's never gone this long without talking to me before."

"I-It's ok Connie." Steven said "Your moms a doctor. S-She probably is stuck at work or something."

"Connie whats wrong?" Greg finally came into the building to see one crying child, one worried child and two confused mermaids. "Your mom not answer yet?"

She shook her head "I got a voicemail from a random number though..."

"Well put it on speaker and lets hear it." Greg said "It mite be your mom on another phone."

"She doesn't have another phone." Connie said.

"Well maby she broke hers and is trying to get a hold of you with a borrowed one." Greg said coming over and sitting down "We won't know until we hear what the message is."

"O-Ok." Connie sniffled. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she unlocked her phone. She fiddled with it before placing it on the table.

" _You have one new voice message."_ the automated voice said " _First message."_

_"Connie!"_

"Mom?"

" _Connie listen to me!"_ The Doctors voice yelled through the phone. " _I need you to_ _ **NOT**_ _come home!"_ There was clattering and banging going on in the back-round _"There are people here who are looking for us! They know what we are and it isn't safe! I need you to stay where you are and don't move!"_ Shouting could be heard along with viscous snarls in the back-round _"Stay with the two of them and don't trust_ _ **anyone**_ _who says they are there to take you to us! I need to- Doug look out!"_

"Dad?" Connie choked out as the sound of bangs and the sound of her father crying out in pain made it through the phone.

 _"Connie, don't change!"_ Her mother yelled as she grunted through the phone afterwards. They could hear here dragging something and it soon became apparent it was her husband. _"I'll come for you as soon as I can!"_

_"Priyanka!"_

_"Agh!"_

The sound of the phone dropping made everyone flinch. They could hear Connie's parents shouting and stuff being knocked over. It sounded like they were trying to barricade something but it wasn't working. Then a loud crash came followed by shouting to run and more snarling. It was loud and painful to listen too, even more so for the aquatics in the room, who were covering there ears. As the voicemail quieted down they herd the phone get picked up. There was the sound of clicking heals on the wood of the doctors study before everything went silent. Just as they thought it was over a voice spoke up.

 _"Tick. Tock. Times almost up shifter."_ A calming leveled voice said " _We can't wait to meet you and your friends in person."_

The line went dead and the voicemail ended. " _To play this message again press 1_ -"

No-one said anything as Steven reached forward and hung up the phone. All eyes turned to Connie. Poor girl was frozen in place with an endless stream of tears falling down her face.

"Connie?" Steven asked gently.

Connie just let out a sob and sank to her knees. Steven was quick to give her a hug and try to comfort her. Greg wasn't looking at the kids however, he was looking at the mermaids. There faces were twisted in shock and horror. They both looked like they had seen a ghost. The way Pearl was backed up to Jasper and the way Jasper was holding her told him more then they ever would.

"You know who that was." Greg said getting there attention.

"No." Jasper said frowning.

'How did she find us again?' Pearl clicked quickly.

"This isn't my first time with the look your both giving me. Rose used to make the same face." Greg said frowning. "So who was that? What are we up against here?"

'We need to tell them.' Pearl clicked.

'This doesn't concern them.' Jasper clicked back.

'Connie's family got attacked.' Pearl clicked 'We need to tell them something.' Jasper frowned more 'This involves them now.'

"She goes by V.W." Jasper said "She was head of the enemy forces in the war. She's the reason we were almost wiped out of existence."

"But why did she attack Connie's parents?" Steven asked "The war is long over right?"

"It's been over for sixty years." Jasper translated for Pearl "And bout fifty six since she tried to kill us all off."

"That doesn't explain why she is attacking her parents." Greg said standing "Those initials sound familiar though..."

"S-Shapeshifters are in the same boat as mermaids in being hunted down." Connie sniffed "Only reason we have gotten away with hiding better is because were not bound to the sea."

"The fact that she said you and your friends means she either knows were here or knows your parents know something about us." Jasper said 'Pearl I don't like this.'

'Were stuck here until we figure out what to do.' Pearl clicked back looking up at her 'I hope the others are having better luck with _her_ then we are up here.'

'Here's to hoping.' Jasper grumbled looking up to the others.

"Connie." Greg said coming over and kneeling in-front of the small girl. He was looking at her and the mermaids at the same time. The aquatic pair were in there own little world and by how fast and low they were clicking he figured that they had no idea what was happening anymore then he did now. This was very concerning as he turned to Connie "Would it make you feel better if I went over to your house to see if I can find your parents?"

"What if you get hurt?" Steven said.

"It's not safe." Connie said shaking her head.

"Hey, I got the old Universe charm. I can talk my way into anything." Greg said with a smile "And I've done work for your parents before. I can just play it off as a home visit for your dad's car."

"Do you think its a good idea dad?" Steven asked.

"I can't just sit here." Greg said "Even if I don't find them there I want to at-least try and help."

"I-If you think you can." Connie sniffled wiping her eyes. Steven leaned in and hugged her more.

"Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"

"Um, theirs a blue bag I keep under my bed. It has things I need in it. Shifter things. Then theirs another blue bag you can stuff with cloths." Connie said nodding "It's right inside the closet door."

Greg nodded "Ok. Now to the main problem." He stood and looked to the aquatics "You two."

Both mermaids looked to Greg and Jasper snapped. "What?"

"Steven. Can you and Connie go unbox the pool for me and pull the hose into the wash?" Greg asked."I need to talk to these two for a moment."

"Ok. C'mon Connie." Steven took his friends hand and both made there way through the front room and out the side door. Once they were outside Greg turned back to the mermaids.

"No more hiding. No more holding back." He said "What is going on."

"We don't know." Jasper answered.

"Who is after you?"

"We don't know."

"Well what _do_ you know?" They shrugged and Greg shrugged back "Guys I need _something_." He said "Things are getting very dangerous here. I want to help you guys just as much as you need but my son comes first. I won't put him or Connie in harms way." The pair looked at each other then back to Greg "I don't know what to do to make things better. I'm not Rose."

"We _know_ your not Rose." Jasper translated as Pearl clicked away "We know as much as you do. We _don't_ know who attacked me. We _don't_ know what there after with the heart. We have _no_ idea who these people are or what they want from us." Pearl waved her arms around as Jasper spoke for herself "Were just as lost. They tried so hard to catch her then let her go."

"And they waited till now to come looking for you?" Greg said "Now Connie's parents got attacked and it's safe to assume that they are the same ones behind your attack."

'We don't know that.' Pearl clicked and Jasper spoke for her 'I don't want to think that but that message...'

"Were out of our depth with this." Jasper said as each passing sentence had her growling more and more. "We need to find a way back to the heart but it's too dangerous with the ones hunting us down lurking about. We also need to get to our pod but we don't even know if there still where we left them. The person they called out for help mite attack them and theirs nothing I can _do_ from here."

Greg sighed heavily and ran his hands over his face."Look, I really need to go check if Connie's parents are still at there house and get her things. Can I trust you both to stay here with them and keep them safe?"

"You trust us to do that?" Jasper asked. Pearl smacked her in the arm and she looked at her 'Ow, what?'

'Don't be like that.' Pearl said with her own frown to match the Guardians 'There kind enough not to throw us out of here with everything going on. Least we can do is watch Steven and Connie.' Jasper huffed and rolled her eyes 'It's not like there a handful.'

' _Fine_.' Jasper grumbled before looking at Greg "What do we need to do?"

Greg knew the bigger of the pair didn't like being told what to do but Pearl had greater here say over her then she would ever admit. He knew they both wanted to be able to do more then they could but also that Pearl was a very loyal kind of being. When kindness was shown to her she would give it back and then some. There bit of clicking at each other was Pearl telling Jasper she wasn't getting her way and the Guardian grumbling about it.

"All you gotta do is just keep them in the house." Greg said "There pulling out the pool I got for you both to sleep in while I run and go to Connie's place. I'll finish setting it up when I get back. Any questions?"

"Yea." Jasper said "What's a pool?"

**Deep in the Mariana Trench**

The pod was following Bismuth down the trench as close as Garnet would let them get to her, which wasn't very close to be fair. The Guardian was trying her best not to be over bearing but she couldn't help it. She was swimming back and forth between there savior and her pod. She wasn't letting them get any closer to Bismuth and would growl at the others when they got too near to her path. Her need and pull in her core to keep them safe was in a moderate push. She was focused on safety but not so narrowly sighted that she could still hold herself back from attacking Bismuth straight out.

Bismuth in turn was taking it all with a grain of salt. She knew Garnet wasn't being a control freak fully on her own. She had seen and fought along side many Guardians in the war. They all had the insane drive to keep there pods safe and companions safer. There need to defend and protect could get to be too much at times and it could be very hard to come back down from that protective mode in there brain. She didn't think Garnet had really claimed anothers love since there last encounter so this behavior was chalked up to the safety of her pod. Even so, it was making it rather hard to talk to Sapphire.

"Can you think of any place Pearl would go?" Bismuth asked over her shoulder. "Any place she would consider safe?"

"The only place I can think of would be the shore where Rose-" Sapphire stopped herself from talking as Bismuth slowed and turned around to look at her. This caused the whole pod to stop and Garnet unconsciously bearing her teeth.

"Rose." Bismuth said slowly "Is this the same Rose as _those_ two?"

"Who?" Lapis asked Blue who shrugged.

"Yes." Sapphire said "The same one who betrayed the enemy's in the war to try and help us."

"I thought she ran after we lost." Bismuth said crossing her arms "What changed? Why did Pearl choose there to go? It doesn't make sense."

"Cause we were summoned there a few days ago." Amethyst spoke up "By her son."

"Her son?" The lone mermaids eyes got a bit bigger "She made a family? Yet couldn't answer us the last time we called out for help." The last part came out a bit bitter but the pod couldn't fault her fully for it. "What's she been up too since moving on from y'all?"

"Shes...dead." Amethyst said. "Shes gone Bis."

"How did you get summoned then?" The older mermaid was confused and it showed "She was the only one who could call our kind."

"Her son summoned us." Ruby said.

"I don't understand." Bismuth said.

"He has the same mark as Rose did." Peridot said "He also has the same blood line. He even looks just like her."

"That blood smelling thing of yours is still a bit creepy tiny." Bismuth said.

Before Peridot could open her mouth to speak Garnet's head snapped up. The others quickly followed her gaze to see a gigantic lone boat slowly drifting across the surface. They could feel the ill-intent flowing through the water and into there very cores from the vessel above. Just watching it slowly move had the pod sinking to the sandy bottom of the trench.

"That's one of the vessels I came across on the way here." Bismuth said lowly as if the boat could hear them "That's why it took me a long time to reach you."

"Somethings not right about that ship." Garnet growled out. The others could see her hands shaking as she was trying to hold it together. Everything in Garnet was screaming at her to attack the ship. To drag it down to the ocean floor and make sure not a soul made it off the boat alive. It was a threat to her pod and she wanted to do whatever it took to make it go away. To leave them alone and keep the heart safe.

"We need to keep moving." Bismuth said looking around quickly for a solution. The only one that came was a pod of dolphins. As the pod started swimming over the mermaids they started to see figures coming into the water around the ship. They didn't have a lot of time. "There, quickly!"

Bismuth darted up to the pod of dolphins and quickly swam into the center of the animals pod. Garnet wasted no time in shoving the others after her. They all quickly came to the pods center and the dolphins could sense there fear and worry as they joined them. They circled around the mermaids and started to swim quicker along. As they swam Bismuth and Garnet kept looking behind them at the figures in the water. What haunted them was seeing a silhouette of one of there own in the group shrinking away into the darkness.

They looked to each other and Garnet huffed looking to Lapis. The blue mermaid got the hint and started clicking and talking to the dolphins. The animals answered back and soon the group was flying through the water. They stuck with the pod as they swam and jumped in the waves. They jumped with them and kept pace with them until they reached the far end of the Mariana Trench. If you didn't look closely you would just assume it was a huge pod of dolphins swimming by. Once they reached the end of the trench Lapis clicked out a few thank you's and the dolphins answered back before going on there way.

The pod followed Bismuth closely as they started towards the shoreline where they met Steven. Breaking the waters surface to look at the coast was the only time they stopped moving. They had been swimming most of the day, without a current or rip tide to help them along it was a much longer journey then there first time here.

"There's a sunken ship close to here." Bismuth said coming back down into the water and swimming the opposite way of the shore line. "We can hide you all there until we know it's safe to go up and see if your missing peaces are around."

She lead the pod along the sandy sea floor as the drop off to shore came into view. Forty feet down off the drop off was a sunken cargo ship. Flipped almost completely on its top it had a few big holes in the hull, showing off what had brought along it's demise to the watery grave below. It was a rather big ship with loads of crates and boxes scattered across the ocean floor. The amount of sharks lurking about and sea life made it a great hiding spot. Humans tended to leave there trash behind in the water when fish claimed them as there home, only coming for there dead when they could. This ship itself looked untouched for quite some time.

As they got closer they could pick out good hiding spots and bad ones. Bismuth lead them into the wreck and deep into the belly of the ship. The inside had rusted cars and cargo containers in such a twisted pail that it made a mini cave of metal and rust for them to hide in. The younger of the pod swam all around, fascinated by everything they saw while the older three held back and watched.

"How did you know this was here?" Sapphire asked as she kept a close eye on Ruby and Peridot. Garnet herself was looking around at everything for threats while keeping everyone in her sight.

"When I left I wondered around for a good long time just exploring places we didn't ever go." Bismuth said "Found out the hard way about the good and bad places to hide." She pointed to her chest where her own mark as a mermaid was broken and distorted on her skin "Got a nice shiner to boot."

"Will this be safe enough for them?" Garnet asked. Her eyes hadn't stopped moving around since coming into the ship and stopping. Her need to protect and guard her pod was in the fore front of her brain. She was looking at every possible way in and out of this forgotten bay. Everything that could collapse on them or impale them, kill them. It wasn't an ideal place to hide but they had no other options. Going back to the cave was out of the question and going to the lagoon was a hard no right now. Not when there were too many possibilities of them getting hurt or killed.

"For now, yea." Bismuth answered swimming off to find a place to rest "Feel free to look around all you want just don't go back outside the ship. I don't know if there lurking around the shore line like the cave."

This made Garnet growl and Sapphire to place her hand on her arm, getting her attention "Let's go look around. Find a few places to put a few protection runes for the night."

With a huff they set off. As they did Bismuth had found a nice place to lay down and Lapis wasted no time coming over to her. "You were in the war right?"

Bismuth didn't really look at her as she raised her arms and stretched behind her, popping her back "Yep."

"What was it like?" Lapis asked "What happened?"

This had Bismuth pause. She looked at the young aquatic as she slowly lowered her arms from behind her head. The others still around were looking around the bay but were giving glances at the pair. The older mermaid could see there curiosity and it confused her just a bit.

"How much do you know about it?" Bismuth asked "What did they tell you?"

"That we lost." Lapis said huffing a bit and crossing her arms "They won't really say anything else on it."

"Do you know about our history or why the war started?"

"No."

Bismuth frowned at this and gestured to the others to join them "Let me tell you then. Come sit."

Lapis sunk down to lay across the hood of an old car as Bismuth sat on the back trunk. Peridot swam over right away with Ruby and made a comfortable little nudge into the blue girls side. Blue came over slowly while Amethyst stayed put where she was. She had perched herself at the doorway where Garnet and Sapphire went through and didn't want to get closer to the isolated mermaid.

"Well, long time ago there were three guardians of the heart. The top of our species and head of all pods." Bismuth began manipulating the water in front of her to show three aquatic figures and a resemblance of the heart above them. She felt herself soften a bit at the groups wide eyes and curiosity as they leaned a bit closer to look "There was Bella, who controlled the southern seas. Penny, who controlled the center seas, and lastly Alexandrite who controlled the northern seas." As she talked each of the three figures she made swam in a circle as each of there names were spoken. "What had happened was Bella fell in love with one of the powerful beings on the land. This being loved her back but the beings sister didn't approve." She showed the mermaid swimming up and a figure sitting on the waters edge talking to her, acting out her words.

"The sister of the being waited until she met Bella to attack her. In turn for not killing her sister she made the aquatic promise her three things. One, that the other two leaders of the seas give up there positions all to Bella. Two, that Bella was then to do everything the sister wanted of her, no matter how horrible it was. And three... That one of there own had to bring her the heart." She paused to carefully watch the mermaids reactions in front of her. They were intently watching her story play out in front of them but fear was coming into there eyes and it was the reaction Bismuth wanted. She wanted them to be afraid and fearful of this history. It was the reason they were some of the last in the sea. "The three of them fought against these demands but in fear of Bella losing her voice and becoming a siren along with the threat of violence, they came to an agreement. In lue of giving the sister the heart and ultimate power over them they promised to give her one of us as a kind of peace offering."

"Is that what Pearl was made for?" Blue whispered gently, getting everyone's attention "It isn't a secret. She just never really told us the exact reason for her existence."

"Didn't think you all knew that." Bismuth said. "It doesn't surprise me that you don't really know though. It isn't something to really brag about."

"Know more then you think." Amethyst grumbled to herself. She crossed her arms and flinched away from Bismuth's look as she looked to her for a moment.

"Where did it all go wrong?" Peridot asked. At this point Garnet and Sapphire were swimming back slowly down a hallway to the group. They could hear there conversation and were cautious to what Bismuth was telling them. It's not they they didn't want them to know about the war and there history, it was just very hard for them to talk about it.

"Before Pearl was to be given to them she had to be taught what to say and not say. Not to tell them anything about there kind but to answer every question asked of her. Just to make them happy so they would leave us all alone to live. It was all going well until the sister got tired of waiting." Bismuth took a breath "Before Pearl was given to her, she was literally being escorted there, the sister attacked the elders. They three tried to defend themselves but Penny was killed in the scuffle." The younger mermaids backed up slightly in fear as they watched Bismuth's figure turn into many and start fighting, ending with one of there deaths "What happened next is fuzzy at best but rumor had it Bella was forced onto land with the beings and Alexandrite fled into the north."

"She just left?" Lapis asked "Why would she even _do_ that?"

"In all honesty no-one knows exactly what happened to her. Her body was never found, her pods and there homes were sealed off, and the beings never calmed to have her." She looked up to see Garnet and Sapphire hovering around one of the doorways. Amethyst had swam over and hand wrapped herself around Garnet. The smaller was clinging to the guardian tightly. Bismuth could see her fear in the story and noticed she was the only one shaking, making it obvious that she was the only one out of the ones in front of her that knew about there history in greater detail then she was telling. "This is where the war came to start. All of us with a few species on land came together to fight the beings and there people but we lost before the first punch was thrown."

"There power heavily out weighed ours and it took a long time for us to loose." Garnet said running her fingers through Amethyst's hair as Sapphire swan over to curl up next to Ruby.

"We fought to get Bella back and they fought to kill us all. At the last fight, right before it started, Pearl and I were moving the heart to safer waters. Someone-" Bismuth looked at Garnet before waving her hand to make her figures fade back into nothingness "Someone came to us and..and _**I**_ did something bad and got myself banished for it."

"What did you do?" Lapis asked but Garnet's growl answered for Bismuth.

"Doesn't matter." Bismuth said waving them off "It's in the past and can't be changed." She locked eyes with Garnet "No matter who is at fault."

The Guardian huffed at this but caught the hint. She knew Bismuth was glossing over details in telling her story to the younger of the pod. Bismuth understood that knowing there history was important but also that telling them every single detail wasn't worth the mental scarring. Garnet also knew, but would never say anything, that when Bismuth and Pearl were moving the heart, something did happen. Something absolutely terrible. That the truth of what truly happened was a story both her and Pearl told differently. This raised more red flags then it should have but she needed to get Bismuth alone to truly ask her about it when all this was over.

She needed to know the truth.

"Find a place to rest." Sapphire said pressing her forehead to Ruby's "We have a lot to do in the morning."

The pod silently swam around and all chose one giant open cargo crate to sleep in. They grabbed random seats and fabrics that weren't too damaged by salt and time to make a comfortable place to lay there heads. Garnet slept at the entrance to this crate while Bismuth chose to sleep where she lounged. She knew the guardian wouldn't let her anywhere near the others and she was ok with that. She was so used to sleeping alone that it would be very strange to suddenly have company. The guardian was the last to fall asleep. Keeping every entrance and Bismuth in her line of sight was her fleeting thought as she slipped into sleep.

Unknown to the pod a single ship silently sailed over top and to a stop above the ship. A pair of cold bright eyes looking over it's edge to the water below.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting up for drama is a lot of fun! My only issue with this chapter is I felt like I moved things a bit too quick and had things happen a little too fast in setting up for the next chapter.   
> If anything is too confusing or not lining up let me know!  
> Like always, I love hearing your feedback and thoughts on what will happen!

"How is it supposed to hold water?" Jasper asked nudging the edge of the pool with her foot "It's flat."

"That's because there's no air in it yet." Steven said moving around the three non-humans in the car wash. Greg had left a while ago and now the kids were trying to set up the pool, the aquatics looking on curiously. Steven figured that with everything going on that the mermaids would want some comfort in water sooner rather then later. Also, Pearl was looking a bit tired, even though she kept saying she was fine when asked.

"Why are you doing this?" Jasper asked crossing her arms. Habit or not, she had put herself between the big car-wash doors and the group. The door was pulled shut and locked but it didn't really make her feel better. If anything it made the Guardian feel a bit trapped. The need to protect the three of them was poking at her core a bit. Easy to ignore but unconscious enough to move on habit rather then need.

"I wanted you both to have somewhere comfortable to sleep." Steven said with a smile "You both won't fit in my tub and I figured that you would want to be together so this was my solution."

'It's very sweet of you Steven.' Pearl clicked as Jasper translated 'Thank you.'

"Your welcome." He said with a bigger smile. "Now, it's going to get loud in here when I start the air pump. If you guys wanna go wait in the house that's ok."

"Air pump?" Jasper looked confused.

"They fill flat objects with air like a ball or balloon but the one they have here is very loud." Connie said taking Pearl's hand. "Let's go inside."

Both aquatics looked at Steven and after getting reassured that he was going to be ok they followed Connie inside. After filling the pool with air and setting the hose up he joined the others inside.

"Oh, sorry. I thought the door would of muffled the noise more." He said. The mermaids had there ears covered, Jasper growling not loud but enough to be noticed, and Connie looked uncomfortable.

"It's ok Steven." Connie said "I forgot how loud it gets. It's been a while since you turned it on with me around."

"Last time you cried cause it startled you so bad." Steven said shutting the door at his back "So what do you guys wanna do?"

'Do?' Pearl clicked confused 'Do what?'

Jasper shrugged and the kids picked up on there confusion.

"Why don't you show them the stuff your mom held on too!" Connie said with a smile "Maby they can tell you how to fix that knife that broke or what different things are. Where they got them."

'The gemmed dagger?' Jasper clicked as both kids quickly moved across the room and down the blanket hall out of sight 'She held onto that?'

'Apparently she kept a lot of things remember?' Pearl clicked back looking at where the kids went before slowly walking forward.

Jasper just grunted as she followed Pearl. The pair walked down the hall slowly towards the sound of the kids talking. They jumped when the blankets first touched them. Pearl had to grab Jasper's wrist to stop her from ripping them down off the walls. The Guardians first instinct was to attack whatever attacked her and ask questions later. It was a fight or flight reflex. Jasper grumbled at Pearl but she just took her companions hand, huffing but following behind where Pearl pulled her. When they reached Steven's room they weren't prepared. There eyes went wide and the kids smiled at there faces.

Steven's room was something. Every wall that could have a shelf attached to it did. They were packed with trinkets the mermaids recognized from all over the world. Things they had brought Rose over the years like shells, bottles, different things holding different color sands. Random bits of metal that held nothing but sentimental value to them and broken watches and glass blown orbs from the ocean floor. What caught the mermaids eyes was the shelf right at the very top, over Steven's bed.

A shelf of weapons. Well, daggers really.

They came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some were curved where others were straight as a rod. A few were cut from stone while others were decorated peaces made of shells. Most of them had sea glass embedded into there handles and adorned the bottoms. What caught Pearl's eye was one right on the very end. Walking into the room she tapped Steven on the shoulder.

"What is it Pearl?"Steven asked. Pearl pointed above his head and he turned to follow his line of sight. "Oh, that's the dagger that broke."

Pearl kept tapping his shoulder excitedly and Jasper spoke up for her. "She wants to see it."

"Oh, yea ok." Steven said. Pearl backed up to Jasper's side as Steven climbed onto his bed. Steven pushed his pillows out of the way and stood on his tip toes to reach the blade. Once he had it in hand he fell onto his butt and bounced off the bed. "Here you go."

'She really kept it!' Pearl clicked excitedly taking the little dagger when Steven offered it to her 'Oh, I remember when we found this!' Perl turned to Jasper 'He wasn't kidding. This really did break right down the center. Oh, it could of been fixed if he brought it to us, this hard stuff just ruins the whole peace. Remember when we were passing through the arctic and Garnet found the peaces for this? It was right before we-' She stopped mid click as she looked up at her companion 'What?'

'I like when you talk about stuff like this' Jasper said reaching out and running her fingers through Pearl's short hair a bit 'It's cute'

"Was that something you gave mom?" Steven asked after Pearl looked away from Jasper with a burning face. Pearl nodded excitedly then she spied something else that got her bouncing on her toes a bit. She started tapping Jasper's shoulder and clicking quickly. The kids looked a bit confused until Jasper translated.

"The tiny shells in the jar there." Jasper spoke pointing to a lower shelf "Gimmy."

"Uh, on this shelf?" Connie said turning and pointing to the closer shelf to her. It was full of random jars with random things on it. From sea glass to shells to bits of paper. The Guardian nodded as Pearl kept tapping her arm.

'Pearl give them a second' Jasper said to the smaller.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' Pearl was practically vibrating next to her with excitement. It made the taller smile a bit.

Pearl really didn't get too excited about anything since being told Rose died. She had been a great help to them on this side of the war but even greater companion and friend to the pod long after its end. Even after everything had settled down and things were calm for a while she continued to befriend the aquatics. She taught them many things as they taught her many in turn. The Guardians questioned how she would know when the next attack would be or where hey would find another of there kind in need of help but valued her word to keep them safe. It was only after the last fight when they were almost killed off, that there last call to her for help, for anything, went unanswered. It scared them and kept them from this place for so long in fear and resentment.

When they had been brave enough to come to see Rose on there own did they finally learn why she never called them. Why she never answered there own calls in turn. She was gone. It ripped them to peaces inside and resentment was what they all felt in those moments. They were angry and upset and at the time, _did_ blame Greg for her passing. They almost killed him over it but now it was just a sore spot for them all.

"This one?" Connie asked pointing to the jar full of tiny shells. At Pearl's vigorous nodding she picked it up and held it out to her "Here you go."

Pearl clicked out what they assumed was a thank you before turning on her heals and power walking out the door. They called after her as Jasper was quick to follow. 'Pearl would you wait a second! What even is that?'

'Don't you recognize these?' Pearl clicked over her shoulder as she turned and went into the bathroom 'These are the water talkers!'

'Water talkers? From the war?' Jasper said following after Pearl into the bathroom. She paused at the look of the room but when she saw the tub, which was still full of water, she pointed to it 'I like that'

'I do too' Pearl clicked walking over to its edge and opening the jar in her hand 'They put me in here when I was hurt'

'They did that on there own?' Jasper asked.

'Yup'

'And you didn't tell them too?'

'I didn't say much of anything when they found me outside. I don't remember anything after they brought me in here. I just woke up in the tub this morning'

Jasper took a breath 'They even put salt in it'

'They figured out it would help me more then fresh water'

'Pretty smart for small organics huh'

'Very much so'

She watched as Pearl took two shells out of the jar then placed the container on the floor. As the kids came into the bathroom, spooking Jasper a bit on there way by, Pearl took the shells in her hand and put them just under the waters surface. They never emptied the tub from this morning which ended up being a good thing. They asked Pearl what she was doing but only got told to wait.

After a few minutes Pearl pulled her hand out of the water and turned to the kids. She reached forward and pulled Steven over to herself. After she placed herself on the edge of the tub she turned Steven's head to the side and started messing with his hair.

"She said hold still." Jasper translated as Steven tried to look at Pearl but was turned back to the side.

"But why-ah!" Steven jumped as something wet touched his ear. He shivered and started laughing as Pearl gently put the shell into his ear. After messing with it a bit more and wiping away the extra water that dripped down his face, Pearl let him go.

'There, right in place' Pearl clicked as Steven's eyes went wide 'It fits perfectly'

"I can understand you!" Steven shouted. Both mermaids jumped and poor Pearl covered her ears, almost falling back into the tub "Agh!- Sorry Pearl."

'It's ok Steven' Pearl said rubbing her ear a bit before gesturing for Connie to come over.

"How did you know these did this?" Steven asked as Connie was trying to hold still for Pearl "I thought they were just for decoration."

"They are for decoration." Jasper said "We only used them for the younger minnows in the pods so they would understand there elders and leaders as they learned how to talk."

'There we go.' Pearl clicked as Connie brushed her fingers over her ear.

"This is so cool." Connie said smiling at Pearl "Thank you Ma'am."

'Ma'am?' Pearl looked a bit confused and Jasper just shrugged at her.

"Oh, Ma'am is something you call your elders up here on land." Connie said "It's a sign of respect."

'Oh. How nice' Pearl said.

"Do you guys have anything like that in your culture?" Steven asked.

"Why?" Jasper asked in turn.

Steven shrugged "Mom wrote a lot about you guys but never in detail."

"About us?" Jasper asked.

"About a lot of things really." Steven lead the way back to his room. When they got there he went over to the little dresser that was pushed up against the far wall, snugly tucked in between two small bookshelves "The only thing she wrote in great detail was what she thought about all of you." He turned and held up a few notebooks. "She said all good things like how she thought Jasper was strong and the perfect example of what a Guardian should be or like how she thinks your very smart and a great fighter Pearl."

Pearl smiled as the kids giggled at Jasper. She had her chest puffed out a bit at the kind words about her and couldn't wipe the smile from her face. "Well she knew what perfection was." When she flexed she had them all just out right laughing.

'I sure do' Pearl clicked earning a blush from her companion.

"How did you guys meet anyway?" Connie asked sitting next to Jasper's leg as Pearl followed Steven to the bed to sit down "You guys don't look like your from the same area."

"Why do you think that?" Jasper asked.

"Well, your orange." Connie said "Warm colors like that are usually found around the center of the world, especially in the Mediterranean- er Dead Sea." Connie said.

'Shes not wrong' Pearl clicked. 'Sit and let me tell you about it'

Both kids got excited. Jasper sat herself on the ground next to Connie. She was big enough and the little shifter sitting so close to the doorway was making her uncomfortable. They promised to keep them safe so she had to move. Jasper grabbed Connie by the back of her shirt and lifted her up. The aquatic adjusted herself so she was sitting in the doorway, half facing the group half facing the way they came.

Pearl watched as her companion put Connie on her knee and crossed her arms. She would point it out later but Jasper was doing what they promised without hesitation. She grumbled and was vocal about things when she didn't agree with them but she always kept her promises. This was no exception.

'Where to start' Pearl clicked to herself as Steven got comfy next to her. 'Well, originally I'm from the South Atlantic Ocean. Halfway between the center seas and the south seas'

"I'm from between the Dead and Red seas." Jasper said.

"I thought they don't really connect." Steven said.

"There are hundreds upon hundreds of tunnels deep under water that connect the seas together." Jasper said "Not like a big tunnel system but like hidden bridges deep in the earths crust."

'It's where most pods lived and flourished' Pearl clicked 'Right under the ones above'

"That's amazing!" Connie said.

"So how did you meet?" Steven asked "Since you weren't in the same pod."

'It was after the war' Pearl clicked 'Me and Garnet, the one with the different colored eyes that was slightly pink that came with us to meet you Steven, were swimming the seas for survivors'

_**~past flash back~** _

"How are you feeling?" Garnet asked looking over her shoulder at Pearl. Her silent companion was still shaken up after there last close call. They had just swam away from some high grade military ships and were a bit beat up from it. Guardians were made to take a beating but bruising adorned Garnet's back and arms. Pearl was more beaten up then her friend. Her forearms were cut deeply and both of them were missing patches of scales from there tails and bodies. The beings on land were trying very hard to catch any survivors they came across and had almost caught them. Several spears and fishnets later the two of them had managed to loose them in a seaweed field.

Pearl shrugged glancing over her shoulder. "Hey." She looked to Garnet who had stopped to wait for her to catch up "It's going to be ok."

'How?' Pearl clicked softly 'Even if we find survivors there not going to want to come with us, let alone travel with someone like me'

"If they try to hurt you it won't end well for them." Garnet said looking back the way they came for a moment "We should keep moving."

The smaller nodded her head and the pair of them continued on there way. They traveled for a long time and were finally reaching the very edges of Penny's territory. They were here to check on a few more pod locations before heading down south to look for any survivors of Bella's pods. They had just reached the very end of the Mediterranean Sea and had headed down the first few twists and turns of the tunnel systems when a jet of water slammed into them.

Pearl yelped in surprise as both her and Garnet were forced back. The Guardian quickly got in-front of Pearl and growled loudly at there attacker. The answering growl was just as loud followed by yelling by another.

"Go away!" The voice was almost lost in the battle of sounds between them.

'We aren't here to fight!' Pearl clicked out loudly 'Were looking for-'

"We don't care what your looking for." The growling didn't stop as the second voice talked to them "This is our territory. Get out."

"Survivors." Garnet boomed into the dark tunnel ahead "Were looking for those who are left."

"Why? How do we know our one of us?"

"We aren't attacking you." Garnet said "We aren't here to fight you. Please." Both girls looked into the darkness "Were looking for help."

The growling on the other end stopped and both aquatics waited. They held there breath as slightly hushed whispers echoed down the tunnels to them. They couldn't make out the words being said but they could tell it was at-least a debate about them happening.

After a few tense moments a graveled voice spoke to them "How many of you are there?"

"Two." Garnet answered "Just us."

The pair watched as a pair of orange glowing eyes came around a far bend with slightly smaller red ones close behind.

"Your still alive." The smaller voice said "The one who was to be given away."

Pearl half hid behind Garnet and her friends eyes started to do there own glowing. The red eyes started glowing brighter but the orange dimmed a bit. There dark figures moved and the red eyes stopped glowing all together. This caused the pair to back up slightly as the orange eyes started to come closer. Garnet couldn't stop growling but she wasn't here to fight. She didn't want to and knew they would lose in there current state. Her growling was light, a warning but not hostile.

When the pair come right up to the others they finally got a good look at them. The smaller aquatic was red with dark eyes to match. Her tail looked like flames dancing from her fin up to her hips. Her hair was curly and close to her head. The other was huge. White hair for days and glowing eyes to match. Stripes decorated her skin and her tail matched in sharp swirling orange-red patterns. There colors and patterns were similar and different at the same time. They were definitely from this area of the sea but in different sections due to there colors.

When the bigger aquatic and Garnet locked eyes all growling stopped. There eyes stopped glowing and they both placed there hands on there hearts. A sign of trust. A sign of respect for other Guardians. There was no quarrel here anymore and they expressed just that.

"Your hurt." The smaller said looking the pair over.

Garnet nodded as Pearl stayed hidden partly behind her. She was weary of others with her current condition. They knew who she was and have probably figured out that she has no voice. Siren or not most were disgusted by aquatics like her. It was disgraceful to talk to one, let alone travel with one. Pearl felt the other Guardians eyes on her and she shrunk more behind Garnet to hide. Her friend reached behind her and squeezed her hand gently.

Only when the bigger Guardian moved to get a better look at her did she flinch. Pearl just looked at the other as she offered her her hand. "C'mon." The bigger said as Pearl looked up at her "Let's get you fixed up."

_**~Back to the present~** _

'From there the rest is history' Pearl said.

"We patched them up and I haven't let her leave my side since." Jasper said with a shrug "I'm her's."

'Like I'm yours' Pearl clicked.

"Wait. Since you love each-other why didn't you get your voice back?' Connie asked.

Pearl face got a little sad and Jasper was pushing away the urged to go over and hold her. 'It doesn't work like that Connie' Pearl clicked 'Once your voice is gone it's gone forever'

"How did you lose your voice?" Steven asked taking Pearl's hand and rubbing his thumb across the back of it gently. Pearl smiled a bit at the gentleness Steven was showing her. It was another comforting gesture and the aquatic appreciated it. With her free hand she reached over and ruffled Steven's hair a bit.

'That's a story for another time' Pearl clicked gently.

"Oh, Steven the pool should be full." Connie said perking up. "I don't want you to flood the car-wash bay again."

"Let's go see!" Steven jumped to his feet but didn't let go of Pearl's hand. He held on tight as he pulled her out of his room, over a fumbling Jasper trying to get to her feet at the same time, and down the hall. The three of them followed Steven to the pool and were very impressed.

Pearl leaned over the high edge to look at the water inside while Steven went to turn off the hose. Jasper walked around the pool slowly before tapping it with her foot. When the water didn't fall out and looked to her companion. "I like it."

"How much salt should we put in it for you both?" Connie asked dragging the bag over to them. When she reached Jasper's side the bigger mermaid picked the bag up and looked at it. Not reading or listening to Connie talking she turned and ripped he bag in half over the water. With a smile she tossed the remains of the bag over her shoulder. "Or we can just do that."

Pearl walked over to Jasper's side and was going to ask her something but the Guardian just bent down, grabbed Pearl, and picked her up. With a startled yelp she told her companion to put her down. With a smile too wide for comfort Jasper put her down, by throwing her. In the pool.

Both kids were laughing as Pearl's clicks were cut off by the water. She glowed brightly in the pool and emerged to splash water on her companion. 'That wasn't funny!'

"You wanted to be put down." Jasper said pointing at the water. "So I put you down."

'That's not what I meant!' Pearl snapped/clicked.

"Hey, I did what you asked." Jasper said crossing her arms with her smile never fading. Pearl growled through the kids laughter but Jasper wasn't fazed by it. She liked poking Pearl's buttons to rile her up, all in good fun of course. The guardian stepped up to the edge of the pool and leaned down. She pressed her forehead to Pearl's. She gave a small chuckle as Pearl's growl lessened but was still there. She pressed into the smaller a bit more before she sighed and gave in, pressing back, letting her eyes flutter shut.

"There enough salt in there?" Jasper asked not really pulling back at first.

'Enough' Pearl answered pressing a little more before pulling back 'Going to join me?'

There was a loud bang from outside that made all four of them jump. As the sound of multiple footsteps could be heard moving right outside the big door it sent fer into the group. Jasper put herself between the group and the big door. She was fighting the urge to start growling in warning at the threat she couldn't see. Pearl had backed up in the pool but had reached forward when the kids started t move. She managed to grab Connie's arm but missed Steven's.

Pearl clicked as quietly as she could after the boy 'Steven!'

Steven had went back towards the front room. When he opened the door a voice boomed out of the other side of the front one. "Steven?!"

As the boy reached behind him to tell the others to wait he paused. Connie had the same confused look as he did. The mermaids had a whole other expression that set worry into them both.

Pure.

Fear.

**Drop off to the shore, sunken ship**

Bismuth had woken up way before the pod had even began to stir. She had gone and circled around the ship, making sure it was still safe before heading back. When she got back to the cargo bay they were all still asleep. She couldn't fault them though. They had been through a lot and probably needed the rest. As she settled in to wait for them to wake she had time to think.

She thought about everything. The way the runes in the cave told her what happened, showed her the fear the others went through. It spooked even her and she wasn't even there! She thought about how Pearl made such a mess and still managed to get away. The ones who attacked them made damn sure to rough the thin aquatic up. They tried so hard to get the heart but turned on Pearl instead to get what they wanted. She didn't understand though. She didn't get why they went through all the trouble but let her go in the end. By all the damage they left behind they had more then enough power to get what they wanted. Catching a beat up mermaid wasn't that hard when you knew what you were doing and these attackers sure as hell knew what they were doing.

All these questions with no answers left her brooding for a good long while until the Guardian woke up. She silently watched the banished mermaid for a time before drifting up "Your mind is clouded."

"I don't understand what there after." Bismuth said "They had more then enough power to catch Pearl but they let her go."

"She got away."

"No matter how you look at it they let her _go_." Bismuth said leaning forward a bit, pushing her finger into the center of her hand with each word.

"They did it on purpose." Garnet said as it dawned on her "They didn't want to catch her."

"They wanted to follow her, to see where she would go." Bismuth said "And they damn well made sure they could."

"There hunting down our safe havens." Garnet said "There trying to kill us off again."

"No. No I don't think so." Bismuth said leaning back as Garnet swam over to hover in front of her, arms crossed "There not dumb enough to do that again."

"Then why?" The Guardian huffed "I don't understand."

"If they wanted you all dead they would of done it a while ago." Bismuth said "No, they needed the heart and when Pearl sealed it off they knew she was the only way in. So they roughed her up and let her go." Bismuth tisked crossing her arms "Ugh this sis frustrating to think about."

"Going on the assumption there after our safe havens." Garnet crossed her arms. "Then they let Pearl go hoping to find one."

"Or others who rome the sea." Bismuth said. As they kept talking the rest of the pod was starting to wake up. They didn't leave the cargo container instead just listened to what the pair was talking about. "I bet Pearl going up on land wasn't in there plan."

"They mite not be able to find her." Garnet said "But it's not like they can't wait her out. She has to return to the sea."

"That kid of Rose's, do you think he would help her?" Bismuth said looking over Garnet's shoulder "Ya'll can come out here. I know your awake." She caught the look Garnet gave her as the pod sheepishly swam out to join them "What? Rather them join us then sit there listening in rudely."

"I think Steven would definitely help us." Amethyst said coming out of the container last "He was so nice to us, just like she used to be."

"Do you think Jasper made it to your minnow?" Bismuth asked.

"Yes." Garnet said mater-o-factly. Her confidence in her words left to room for dout in the others mind "What do we do now-"

"Get down!"

Sapphire dove at the others and slammed the lot into Bismuth. They flew back in a tangled mess as Sapphire's scream echoed through the water. The others got pushed into a twist of metal and cars as the small mermaid was yanked out a window. Garnet and Ruby were the first to get untangled but before they could go follow Sapphire Bismuth stopped them. She quickly tangled the lot up in chains and yanked them back into the cargo bay. She understood the danger right outside and them all going out there was going to end up with them all more then likely dead.

"Bis-"

"Shut your mouth." Bismuth growled pulling the lot into the shadows. They could hear Sapphire fighting whoever was out there and it was hard to listen too. She was hissing loudly and whimpering at the same time.

"Don't hurt her." A voice said "Just knock her out."

Garnet yanked on her chains hard as Sapphire's voice was suddenly cut off. The others were a mixture of growls and whimpers causing Bismuth to chain there mouths shut as well. As voices started to come to there ears Garnet's eyes started to glow.

"Don't make me blind you too." Bismuth whispered harshly "All of you freaking stop _**now**_."

"She isn't the one were looking for." A voice said carrying to them inside.

"Are you sure?"

"The one we want is white, not blue."

"What do we do with her? Bring her with us?"

"Bella will want her." Those words sent a cold bang into both Garnet and Bismuth's chests. The weight of those words had the others in the pod feeling the anxiety rolling off the other two. "She mite not be alone though. Let's do a quick sweep of the ship then get out of here."

Bismuth looked at Garnet as she quickly unchained them all. She trusted the Guardian to not be a complete idiot and run out there. Garnet herself knew she couldn't play a hero right now. Both her and Bismuth pushed the pod back into the crooked hole Sapphire forced them into. They could hear people coming. Ill intent flowing off them heavily into the water around them. This forced the pod back as far as they could go as a few beams of light passed there hiding spot.

"This place gives me the creeps." One voice said.

"No kidding." The other said "If she was with others they would of come out by now. Let's get out of here."

"Right behind you."

The sound of the the attackers retreating had the Guardian and outcast moving right to the front of there hiding place. They could hear them talking as they swam up to the surface. The further away they got the further the two older mermaids ventured. They swam to the very edge of the ship hidden in shadows. They watched as teh figures took Sapphire up to the bottom of a big ship with them and hand her off before getting out of the water themselves. they watched the boat start and only when it was a dot on the horizon did Garnet and Bismuth looked at each-other. Before a word could be muttered Garnet wound back and punched her right in the jaw.

"You damn shark!" Bismuth snapped as she flew backwards before righting herself.

"Why didn't you let us go after her?!" Garnet yelled swimming at her. Before she could get to Bismuth the rest of the pod got in the way. Amethyst, Lapis, and Blue got in Garnet's way. They wrapped themselves around her to hold her back as Peridot clung onto Ruby who's eyes were glowing so bright the water was starting to vibrate around her. "We could have saved her! We could of faught back!"

"And then what?!" Bismuth yelled so loudly they all flinched back from her "Cause a big enough scene that they send more here?!" The power rolling off her had everyone but the Guardian flinching back away from her. Garnet just growled deeply hand held her ground, her own eyes starting to glow. "Listen-"

"No you listen-" Garnet said trying to cut her off.

"If they wanted her dead she would be dead!" Bismuth yelled "But they don't. They took her with them which means killing us all off isn't what there trying to do."

"Then what are they trying to do miss knows everything?" Lapis snapped pushing against the fear rolling through her.

"I don't know but what I do know is that we know exactly where Sapphire is."

"And hows that?"

"Trackers." Peridot said getting excited "We use trackers!"

"Trackers?" Lapis said "What in the seven seas is a tracker?"

Bismuth smiled big before raising her fingers to her mouth "A special thing Readers and Writers like me can do." She whistled loudly and it echoed through the water. To the surprise of the others a thin glowing blue trail started to twist itself through the water. "To find each-other when runes were being made." She looked after the trail "Now, we use it to find your Reader."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I got more hours at work so I'm putting this up now so I don't forget on Thursday. I am very happy with the first half of this chapter but not so much so with the second half. Not gonna lie, I lost where i was going with the pod so I made it up on the spot. It's a bit sloppy but I think I got the general idea across. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> All your feedback and thoughts are always appreciated and I love hearing from you all! If things don't make sense let me know!

Steven was conflicted. The aquatics looked like they had seen a ghost. Pearl looked absolutely terrified where Jasper looked like that but with bubbling anger layered over it. Connie looked a bit scared herself. Pearl had a death grip on her sleeve and Jasper had moved to be in-front of them. She stepped up to grab Steven but he didn't let her.

"Stay here." He whispered to the aquatics before shutting the door. "I'm coming!"

The pounding on the door continued until Steven reached it. He moved the curtain out of the way to see two tall figures on the other side. With a slight sigh Steven started to unlock the front door for his aunts.

"Hi auntie's."

"Are you alright Steven?" his aunt Yevette asked the second he had the door open. His aunt Bella said nothing as she took a few steps in and kneeled down to give Steven a hug. "Your father called us in a panic about something but before we could get an answer out of him we lost connection."

"Did he send you?" Steven asked ocwardly hugging his silent aunt back while trying not to drown in one of the flowing dresses she tended to wear, no matter the weather out.

"No, we came on our own." Yevette said taking off the sunglasses she had on and hooking them to the front of her collared shirt, coming into the front room. Steven looked around his aunts and out the front door. His aunts moved to block his view but he saw what they blocked. There was a very big truck out front, like a tanker truck. It sent a red flag up in his head and he became a bit ridged and Bella sensed this.

"Why?" Steven questioned. He was gently trying to untangle himself from Bella's grip but she wasn't letting go. She stopped hugging him but when she stood back up she held on tight to Steven's hand. "I'm old enough to be left on my own."

His aunts had always made him feel a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't because they didn't love him, they loved him very much. It was because every time they came to visit, his third aunt would always be with them. Without her both Yvette and Bella were very open loving people. Not seeing her with them now was making him more nervous then it should have. She was just so creepy. Always popping up out of the blue and scarring Steven every time.

Yevette was always a stern yet loving Aunt. She was strong and smart. She taught Steven how to trust his gut and toughened him up a bit to know how to take a beating. Bella was quite the opposite, she never really spoke. When she did she was very soft spoken and hardly said a word above a gentle whisper. Her wife would usually speak for both of them and it always seemed to make her uncomfortable when Yevette couldn't talk for her. Despite this she was always very gentle with Steven. She taught him about the different sea life around his town and home. She would always be the one to take Steven to the beach and would spend hours with him playing in the sand. Even as he got older and started to venture into the sea she would always be there to watch over him. He always found it strange that whenever they went to the beach, no matter how stormy or rough the weather was, the sea always seemed to calm at there presence.

"We came to check on you." Yevette said looking around. "Are you here alone?"

"Yea, why?" Steven asked cautiously as Bella leaned over and whispered something in her wife's ear. Yevette frowned and looked at the door to the car-wash. She walked over to it quickly and Steven tried to follow, but Bella held his hand tight.

"Then why do you have monsters in your home." She said opening the door to be met with growling.

"No, don't!" Steven yelled reaching for his aunt.

"Hello there." Yevette said with a smile before turning back to the front door that she left open "Get them."

"Dammit Steven." Jasper growled watching the door shut. She turned back to Pearl and Connie and frowned. "I swear to Neptune, if we didn't make that promise I'd drown him right now."

'How is she here?' Pearl clicked softly as her hands trembled.

"Is she going to hurt us?" Connie's voice was so soft that it scared the aquatics even more then they already were. Nothing set more fear into your gut then the fear of a child.

'I don't know.'

"W-What are we going to do?"

"We need to get out of here." Jasper said as they could hear muffled voices talking with Steven on the other side of the door. Two they recognized but the third alluded the aquatics yet the tones sounded familiar to them. The amount of red flags in there heads was starting to make them panic a bit. "We need to grab that little idiot and run."

Jasper herself was fighting every urge to run. She was way out of her element up here. There wasn't enough water for her to properly defend them all with. Pearl was too hurt to really put up much of a fight and she doubted the shifter could do much being so small. She wasn't her ancestors and didn't look like she could fight if her life depended on it. She couldn't leave Steven in the other room with the ones they feared. They promised to keep both of them safe and it was taking a great amount of effort to stay in place to try and figure this out instead of running away or bursting in there to get the boy back in a blind rage induced fury.

Steven shouting had Jasper back up and heavy foot falls came towards the door. She turned and grabbed Connie by the sleeve of her shirt. "Hide behind that blue thing." She said pulling the girl out of her companions grip and shoving her towards the big spiral brushes on the other side of the pool. "Quickly."

Her voice started to growl as the door was forced open. She felt herself start to tense up for a fight as the being who caused the war, helped kill off there species, was standing just a few feet from her. "Hello there." She said with a smile looking away after a moment. "Get them."

"No!" Steven yelled as the car-wash door was forced open.

The aquatics didn't have time to react as a pressurized stream of water hit Jasper. The Guardian yelled out in surprise as she was forced into the back of the car-wash, slamming her into the metal wall. The pressure from the water was so great and so much that it not only pinned her in place, it tricked her body into changing, rendering her immobile.

'Jasper!' Pearl clicked she tried to grab a hold of the water holding her companion but a big hand on her arm stopped that.

"No you don't." Yevette said literally yanking Pearl out of the pool. The thin aquatic snapped and hissed as she was thrown to the floor. Just a light show later and Yevette had her arms twisted behind her back and pinned her to the floor by her knees. Pearl wasn't giving up though. She was twisting and turning the best she could trying to get away. She was terrified and internally panicking, outwardly cursing.

'Get off me you spinless jellyfish!' Pearl clicked. Her voice was just as aggressive as Jasper's, who was cursing a whole lot more trying to move. The problem was every time she started to get up the pressure would increase, forcing her back down. 'Agh!'

"Be quiet."

"Yevette!" Bella said as she watched her wife's hand spark to life with electricity and zap the mermaid below her. Pearl screamed in pain and all the good it did was work the Guardian up more and didn't stop Pearl's struggling. If anything it made them more determined and it was starting to annoy Yevette. "They need to be alive!"

"I'm not going to kill them Bella." Yevette said with a roll of her eyes and a tisk, leaning into her grip on Pearl's wrists behind her back causing her to whimper a bit in pain.

"Stop!" Steven tried to get out of his aunt's grip but she was holding him tight. "Don't hurt them!"

"How did you end up with them in your house?" Yevette said looking at Steven as several people armed and in full riot gear entered the car-wash. "There dangerous."

"There not dangerous!" Steven said trying to reach out and grab at them "There my friends!"

"You can't be friends with things like them Steven." Yevette said as the armed men surrounded her and took her place holding Pearl down so she could stand. "They kill kids like you."

"No they don't!" Steven was trying so hard to get out of Bella's grip and she was starting to lose her grip on him. "Let them go!"

"Steven please." Bella said softly before losing her grip on him "Steven!"

Steven ran at the guys pinning Pearl down and body slammed into one. He did manage to get the guy to fall over but before he could do anything else Yevette picked him up. He kicked and hollered but his aunts grip was steel. He kicked and flailed as she pulled him back and held him tight, ducking under the constant jet of water as to not get them wet. "Get off her!"

"Get her in the truck!" Yevette snapped. "And someone get the one hiding behind the brush over there!"

Steven was struggling hard but was getting no where. As he was fighting his aunt's hold on him Pearl was fighting her own battle. Where it took just Yevette to hold her down it took at least five of her guys to hold her. She yanked hard on there grip and once she was on her feet she growled. Bella yelled at them to watch out but it was too late. Pearl yanked her head one way and all the water in the pool shot out and slammed two of the guys out into the street and into the side of the truck they came in. It rocked the truck so violently it groaned in protest before settling back down on its tiers again.

The remaining yelled for more back up as Pearl started to twist out of there grip. In the mean time, thanks to Pearl making a scene, Jasper was able to get on her hands and knees. Her eyes were burning the air around her as she raised up on her knees, clenched her fists, and roared. With this she grabbed all the water she could and rushed it forward. All the anger and energy in her to fight was directed into the water. It was such an immense energy that it ripped the few men who were going for Connie in half. It even ripped apart two men who came forward to grab Pearl again but she didn't get them all. She couldn't without hitting her companion or Steven.

To Steven's horror Yevette pushed him into Bella's arm and stepped away to the fighting mermaids. Steven cried out as Yevette wound back and slammed her sparking fist into Pearl's back. It was much harsher then the shock earlier and sent Pearl flying away from them. "Pearl!"

The thin aquatic landed on the ground in a heap. She was slightly smoking and couldn't drag herself back to her feet. The wind was knocked out of her and left her gasping for air. She was no where near able to defend herself like this. Not now. Yevette didn't waist a moment before turning and stomping her foot down into the water all over the floor. This sent a much harsher spark into the Guardian. Like electricity moves, the power surged all through the water on the floor and not just at her intended target. It sparked up not only the Guardian but hit Pearl again and killed several of her own men who got in the way. Bella had seen this reaction coming and had jumped back into the safely of the dry floor of the living-room, holding Steven tightly against her so he wouldn't get shocked and die.

The screams from both aquatics made Steven cover his ears. It was so loud and absolutely horrible to listen too. It broke him even more when Connie fell forward and hit the ground. She was smoking just like the aquatics but she wasn't moving.

"C-Connie!" Steven yelled.

"Steven wait a min-ow!" Bella let Steven go with a start as he not so gently bit her hand.

"Steven!" Yevette snapped but the boy wasn't listening.

He ran across the car-wash and fell to his knees at his friends side. "Connie?" Steven asked reaching out and touching her shoulder. He got slightly zapped and he winced at it. "Ah!" Steven took his hand back for a second before moving Connie to lay on her back. "Connie, Connie wake up." He started tapping her shoulder quickly but before he could really do anything Yevette came up behind him and yanked him away from her. "No!"

"Enough!" Yevette yelled and it made Steven jump. The way he looked up at her in terror broke her a bit inside but she didn't show it. She couldn't. Not now. "Quit acting like a fool."

"You hurt them!" Steven yelled with tears in his eyes "Why?! What did they do to you?!"

"That's none of your business." Yevette growled "Bella, take him to the truck. Someone get in here and get these three ready for transport!"

"Leave them alone Auntie!" As Bella came up and grabbed Steven's arm the boy looked around them to the mermaids. They both were smoking really bad and looked worse for wear. Pearl was just in a heap like Connie and wasn't moving. Seven was afraid she wasn't even breathing. Jasper was gasping in shallow breaths. She was struggling to get up, struggling to move. She was digging her hands into the floor, clawing deep grooves into the concrete below her. It was like watching a pitiful puppet show with the doll in question missing it's strings. Her eyes were flickering in there glow and it hurt Steven to watch. He wanted to go over to make sure they were all ok. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I have too." Yevette said walking over and picking Connie up. Once she had the unconscious girl secure in her grip she came over and grabbed Steven by the arm, pulling him out of her wife's grip, who was having trouble holding on to him. "Make sure they move them properly. I know how important she is."

Steven didn't have time to ask as more men flooded the car-wash. His aunt yanked him forward and he knew he wouldn't get out of her grip but he still put up a fight. Yevette asked him to stop but when he didn't she didn't give him a second warning as she zapped him into unconsciousness to match his best friend. It killed her inside to do it but she didn't have a choice. A small shock was a better punishment then his third aunt getting a hold of him. Anything was better then that.

**Sunkin Ship, Drop off to Shore**

The pod wasn't fairing much better. After a lot of swimming up and down the coast they were growing frustrated. Every time the trail after there Reader would get thicker and give them hope in finding her it would almost fade out of sight and change direction completely. Every pass, every change, every new direction. By the time the sun started to set the pod was beyond tired and annoyed. This was most evident in Garnet and Ruby. The guardian was growling to herself but not quietly in any way. The water seemed to vibrate around her with each new pass and turn. Ruby's hands were shaking in worry. Her eyes were glowing like a burnt ember but would get just a bit brighter with each new move. Eventually she roared up at the surface and stopped swimming. The water getting hot and bubbling around her as she treaded in place cursing and grumbling under her breath at nothing in particular.

"This is pointless!" Lapis snapped throwing her hands up and stopped swimming "Were getting no where fast."

"I don't understand." Bismuth growled to herself staring the shore down. "This method is full proof!"

"Obviously not." Lapis said crossing her arms.

"I can _see_ the connection better then the lot of you." Bismuth said gesturing around at the others who had all stopped at there harsh words "I can _feel_ the connection I called upon pulling us to her. Tiny can see it just as well being a reader and I can tell can fire cracker there can still feel her." She thumbed over at Peridot and Ruby "So shes not dead. I just don't know what shes doing."

There was just grumbling among the lot until Peridot spoke up with a start "She's moving!"

"What?" Lapis said.

"That's why we can't get a good lock on where she is, she moving or being moved." The small green mermaid swam towards the blue trail in the water and watched it as it would wind one way then suddenly another. "If going in the direction they took her."

"Then she was taken up on land." Garnet said looking up at the surface "Being taken to where _she_ would be." Her gaze fell onto Bismuth "There's only one person up there that we can ask for help but he won't be too willing."

"Wait, are we talking about Greg?" Amethyst asked.

"Yup." Garnet said popping the P at the end.

"Who's Greg?" Bismuth asked as Garnet started past her and towards the lagoon.

"Steven's dad." Amethyst answered following after Garnet closely with the rest of the pod following soon after.

"And Steven is Rose's son." Bismuth said with a frown "He will know how to get to your Reader?"

"Hope so." Amethyst said glancing up at Garnet who's gaze was fixed on the lagoon path ahead. Under the surface there was a thin trail of stones that came out much further into the water then what could be seen on the surface. The cliff face that now hid the lagoon was much taller then the people in town had known. When it came down it not only made the lagoon but silently made a wall of green and shells across the sandy floor to the dark waters below.

"How did you learn of this place?' Bismuth asked "Wasn't this a battle ground at one point?"

"Battle ground?" Lapis questioned "Like in the war?"

"Believe it or not this was one of the places that a few battles took place." Garnet said as she followed the rocked below to the hidden lagoon entrance. There were two ways into the lagoon but they always used the top entrance because they liked the feeling of the sun hitting them when visiting. Now it was just another way to find them so sticking to the dark was important this time "The lagoon was formed after me and Jasper did, did something dumb-"

"You both sent a title wave at the shore line just to see who was the stronger." Bismuth said from the back and got a growl in turn "Not only did they do it, they both learned there matched in power, _and_ how to give away our position in the sea so spectacularly to the enemy. You both got in a lot of trouble from Pearl after that! She almost decked you."

"No way, you _both_ being reckless and getting her pissed off?" Peridot snickered "I would of _loved_ to see that."

"Had me scared out of my mind and I wasn't even involved." Bismuth laughed.

Garnet grumbled at the snickering behind her but it soon died down as they neared the lagoon. As the rocks and boulders above sent the sea into the dark as they got closer the pod moved to be closer together. Garnet moved slowly into the shadows around her. Instead of turning up to swim through the opening above she kept her path straight across the sandy floor. Swimming between two sunken boulders she slipped into the space they created and into the darkness of the lagoon.

'Stay here' Garnet clicked gently at the others. She waited until they were hidden in the dark cracks below before swimming out into the lagoon itself. She slowly swam around the giant rocks resting in a pail leading to the surface above. Her eyes never left the waters break as she slowly started to swim up. She was looking for anything that could hurt them. A feeling of ill-intent in the air or waiting traps in the ater below. When she reached the surface she popped her head out just enough to see.

To the untrained eye they would of missed this, but on the rock where Steven and Greg had called them from was two blood smeared hand-prints right on the edge. As she got closer she could see that the blood wasn't fully dry yet. It still sparkled in the few rays of sunlight shining from the setting sun. Pearl had definitely come this way. It was at least one good sign.

As Garnet placed her hands on the rock and pulled herself out of the water she felt it. A magical pull. It was coming from further inland. Her first instinct was to follow it, her second was to stay in place. As her tri-colored tail of red and blue mixing into purple like cammo turned into legs she felt another pull. A stronger pull. This pull was to defend, the attack, and it wasn't coming from her. Every fiber in her very core was telling her to go sprint off towards the fighting and help her other Guardian. Safety in numbers, in power.

"What's up G?"Amethyst asked making the Guardian jump a bit. "Your super tense."

Garnet didn't realize she was standing as ridged a a board until Amethyst said something. The others were surfacing behind the small aquatic pulling herself out of the water and Garnet clicked her tongue.

"Somethings going down." Bismuth said looking up at the top of the ramp leading out "Who is fighting?"

"Fighting?" Peridot said. "Who's fighting?"

"Jasper." Garnet said "I can feel it in the air."

"Is she hurt?" Blue asked quickly earning a glance from Ruby and Amethyst.

"Don't know." Garnet said looking at the ramp "It's coming from the same direction as the magic I'm feeling."

"I don't feel any magic." Ruby said getting out of the water after Peridot.

"You wouldn't unless you were in the war." Bismuth said getting out last. She was like Garnet, noticing the blood smeared on the rock. Getting onto her feet she could make out half bloodied footprints leading to the ramp and assumingly outside onto the sand. "It's a protection and hiding kinda magic. The shape-shifters on our side used magic like this to help hide us when we needed to get out of bad situations. We stopped using them after a while because the other side figured out how to find these fields and in turn all of us."

"The fighting is coming from that direction." Garnet said "Pearl must of gone to the magic."

"Are you sure?"

"When were hurt we go to the most familiar thing we feel or know." The Guardian said looking at Amethyst "Since she got away and the cave wasn't safe she must of felt this pull and came here in search of help."

"Feels like one of Pepper's family." Bismuth said "Didn't she die at the last battle?"

"She was with a child the last me and Jasper saw her." Garnet answered "We assumed at the last battle she had left with said child, which ended up being the best."

"Any shifters on that field that day died." Bismuth said answering the questioned look on Lapis' face. "We need to get going."

Garnet frowned but lead the way out of the lagoon. The move through the town was slow. It was almost completely dark out. Most of the people in town had gone home for the day but the few that were milling about would give a double take at the group of basically half naked women walking past. Some of the younger of the pod stumbled here and there as they walked. They weren't as used to being on there feet as the older two were. To compare it was like watching a child walk across a fun house floor that was slowly rotating. The occasional stumbled or trip not drawing attention to themselves but earning a few smirks from the older ones.

The more they walked the more they felt the pull of the magic. It was so strong and such a powerful pull that the younger's who had never felt magic like this, it hit them with a wave. A few of them had there eyes glow for a few moments.

"Wow, this stuff is something else." Amethyst said bouncing on her toes a bit "No wonder Pearl came this way."

Garnet didn't say anything as they moved but she felt that the fighting had stopped abruptly. To her this was a bad sign. When ever a Guardian would fight, especially Jasper and herself, the fighting never really stopped suddenly. Due to there power and ability to get very into the battle at hand, it took them a good while to come down from that fighting high. From that need to protect at all cost and sacrifice self preservation to save there pods and companions. It being cut off so suddenly like this indicated that the Guardian had lost.

When they got within range of the edge of the magic field the car-wash came into view. The pod didn't know what to expect but it wasn't a building that looked like it got struck by a lightning storm. The building looked ok per say. However the garage door leading into the car-wash part was ripped off its hinges and thrown into the grass along side the building. Water was just covering the ground outside and as they got closer they could see all the water inside too. The floor was a dark grey color and as they came right up to the way in, the biggest things to stand out were the partially deflated pool and the huge body indent in the back wall.

Every hair was standing up on Garnet's head. Her mind was screaming at her to take the pod away, get them back to safe waters. The other part of her was telling her to find there missing Guardian and Protector. To get them back and defend them all. Both sides were fighting in her very core. Bismuth was watching her and there surroundings closely. The Guardian was having a hard time holding onto rational thought and peace of mind so she took to looking around. She took in what the others could see and figured out pretty quick Jasper had lost this fight.

"She lost." Bismuth said looking at the back wall "There not here."

"They left recently." Blue said softly looking all around in the water in front of them. It made the older two pause a bit at her words.

"What do we do?" Peridot asked "There's no-one here."

"There's one person." Lapis said pointing to the inside of the car-wash. Coming out of a side door was a stumbling Greg. He looked like crap. The ends of his hair were fried a bit and his cloths were dirty. He had black smudges across his hands and he looked like he just went through an ordeal "Greg!"

"Oh no!" Greg looked to see the pod standing there and took a step back "Don't tell me you need help too!"

"You look like you went a few rounds with the craken." Amethyst said looking around Garnet who had turned her head slightly to look at him "What happened?"

"No." Greg said pointing at them "I'm not answering any questions until I know whats going on!"

"Take a breath dude." Amethyst said as Garnet took a step towards him "Just-"

"Don't touch the water!"

Greg's warning came a few seconds too late. The moment Garnet stepped into the water on the ground a shock of electricity shot up her leg and sent her flailing onto the ground with a thud. Bismuth imminently stepped between the pod and Greg. She grabbed the water in the ground and brought it up to a sharp point, pointing it directly at Greg's head.

"What did you do?!" Bismuth yelled using the water to back Greg up to the wall while the others moved. Amethyst and Blue moved to help Garnet back to her feet while Peridot and Ruby stood back to back looking for more threats. Lapis took parts of the water out of what Bismuth had controlled and turned them into chains, grabbing Greg and pinning him into the indent in the back wall. "Where are the other two in the pod?!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Greg said tilting his head back trying to get away from the water in his face. "I didn't do anything to them! They came here for help!"

"Where are they?" Lapis growled.

"I don't know!" Greg said as Garnet was pulled to her feet and steadied "I left them here with Steven and when I got back the place was like this!"

"Fish paist." Lapis spat as Bismuth growled. Before the larger mermaid could impale Greg with the water she controlled Garnet grabbed her wrist. In telling her to wait the Guardian walked into the car-wash. As she made her way to him she took in more of the wash. There were signs of a struggle marked all over the floor. scraping and deep oozing puddles were about the floor. The outline of three figures were burned into the floor. Two were small and one was big. The need to run was almost over powering as she made it to Greg. She looked at the deep grooved dug into the floor under her feet.

"What happened?" Garnet asked "Where are the other two of our pod?"

"I-I don't know." Greg said "Steven's friend's parents were attacked and I went over to there house to find them, leaving Steven with your creepy Guardian and Pearl and when I got back there was no-one here! I need o find my son!"

"The water." She said "Why did it shock me?"

"T-That's the power Steven's aunts have on Rose's side." Garnet waved her hand at the two holding Greg in place. Lapis imminently let him go but Bismuth was more reluctant. She growled slightly but took the water away from Greg's face, not dropping it but holding it in a way to show they still had the upper hand. Greg took a few calming breaths before continuing "Two of his aunt's can do weird things like this. I've seen them move the ground and control the air. It's... It's scary to watch."

"Elemental's." Amethyst mumbled under her breath as the others in the pod came into the car-wash. The need to be close together and out of sight pushing them more into the building then there Guardian wanted but having them close made her feel better.

"Can Steven?" Blue's words trailed off as Greg shook his head.

"He can't do what they do." Greg said "Rose and his two aunts were the only ones who could that kinda stuff and they never did it around him. There afraid of hurting Steven so they never did it in front of them."

"They did this time." Lapis said looking around "Do you think they have him?"

"I hope so." Garnet barred her teeth and Greg quickly spoke "Look, they are very protective of Steven when they come around. They would never hurt them."

"They hurt someone." Peridot said "Would they turn on him?"

"Never."

"The magic around the building." Garnet said "Who set it?"

"Steven's best friends mom." Greg said "There shape-shifters and someone attacked there family. I left the kids with your two here and went to see if I could find them."

"They were here?" Blue asked hopeful.

"They promised to keep them safe while I went out." Greg said "I got back a few minutes ago."

"So these 'aunts' of Steven's." Bismuth said "Do you think they have our two?"

"Jasper and Pearl keep there word." Garnet said "There with the kids."

"How do you know?" Peridot asked. She got a look from the Guardian and didn't ask again.

"Where would they take them?" Ruby growled from the back of the group "Sapphire was taken too and we need to find all three of them!"

"There's only one place they would all go." Greg said frowning "But it's not an easy place to get too."

"Is it on land?" Lapis asked.

"Yes but it's next to the ocean." Greg said.

"Show us the way." Bismuth said "Will swim there."

"But I can't breath underwater like you all."

"It will be faster then traveling on land."

"I'm going to need to boat to get there." Greg said "We get a boat I can take you right up to there front door."

"You have five minutes to be ready." Garnet didn't waist more then a moment on her decision. When Pearl was out of the picture or incapacitated command of the pod would go down the ranks among them. Garnet and jasper were third in line for being in charge and since Sapphire wasn't here, the title was now hers. In more then a blink she grabbed Greg by the front of his shirt and yanked him into the car-wash, shoving him into there living room. "Deal."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is broken into three parts (kinda). The first part is from Steven's POV. The second is Jasper's then the pods. I'm trying to portray that this is all happening at the same time so it mite be a bit confusing and I'm sorry. Enjoy!

Hymning is the first thing Steven's mind registered. The second was the feeling of being moved. There was a soft purring sound in his ear and it took longer then he realized to register it as an engine. He groaned a bit and found a gentle hand on his head.

"Steven?" His aunt Bella's voice was gentle in his ringing ears "Steven can you hear me?"

"Is he still breathing?" Yevette sounded further away but still close.

"I can't believe you did that." Bella gently snapped.

"You were going to lose your grip on him."

"You could have killed him!"

"I had to do something!"

"There was an easier way Yevette."

"And what would of happened if that Guardian managed to get a hold of him? How bout that Siren?"

"If they were going to hurt him they would of done it." Bella snapped "There was more then enough water to kill him in that pool."

"Are you seriously defending them?"

"I know who that Siren is. She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"She killed two of my men."

"It was self-defense."

"Bella."

Steven groaned as he raised his hands to his eyes for a moment. It was uncommon to hear his aunts fighting and he was more surprised about _what_ they were fighting about then the actual fighting itself. They clearly knew what Pearl and Jasper were and it just raised so many more questions in his head.

"Steven!"

"See he is fine."

'I can't believe you sometimes' Bella clicked out harshly which made Steven twitch a bit as he sat up.

"Where am I?" Steven asked as he looked around. From here he could see he was sitting in a big SUV. There was a half wall separating the driver and passenger seats from the rest of the car. Yevette was siting in a seat in-front of him, Bella was sitting behind him and moved up as Steven righted himself. "Where's Connie?"

"Your friend is still asleep." Bella said glancing behind herself. The worried look on her nephews face had her speak quickly "She isn't dead Steven. Your aunt here just can't control her temper sometimes."

"I can control my temper perfectly fine." Yevette growled out. "It's when you don't listen is where I have the problem."

Steven looked over the seat at Connie. She still wasn't moving. She did look just asleep but a little rough for wear. She was also not in her cloths anymore. She was in one of her aunts big shirts. He looked confused and when he looked at Bella she gently touched his arm.

"We didn't want her to get sick form her wet cloths so I put one of my shirts on her." Bella said gently before looking up at Yevette. Steven followed her gaze as the SUV started to slow. "Turn around and sit proper Steven."

As he did what he was told he caught the look Bella was giving him. She had a surprised look followed by a slightly worried one. She glanced at her wife to see her talking to the driver. As the SUV came to a stop she leaned close to her nephew.

'Don't let your aunt Whinney see this' Bella clicked as quietly as she could in Steven's ear.

Steven got nervous as Bella touched his ear with the shell in it gently before dropping her hand and taking his. She didn't give him a second look as the doors were opened and she pulled him out. Steven asked about his friend and the mermaids but just got shushed by Bella.

Outside the SUV Steven could see they were at some type of high tech wear-house. It was right on a cliff side and Steven could hear the ocean far off in the distance. Yevette followed them out of the SUV and pulled Connie out as well. She held the sleeping girl in one arm and stood next to her wife while addressing her nephew.

"Now Steven, while your here you can't wonder around the building without Bella with you ok?"

"Wheres my friends?" Steven asked looking around his aunts "Are you going to hurt them?"

"There not your friends Steven." Yevette said turning as they all watched the big tanker truck rumble up to the building "And they won't be hurt if they don't fight."

Watching the truck back up sent an impending doom feeling into Steven's chest. Yevette backed him and her wife up as several dozen men came out of the building. They all got in a semi circle around the back of the truck as it backed right up in line with two big bay doors. There was alot of shouting and yelling as the truck came to a hard stop and the breaks hissed. The tanker itself was rocking ever so slightly back and forth as people went this way and that. Steven new all this noise and commotion was already too much for the aquatics inside the tanker. The rocking, from what he could guess, was happening because of it's cargo. Steven knew he needed to help, he just didn't know how.

"S-Stop!" Steven yelled "Your scarring them!"

"What?" Bella said.

"Steven don't be ridiculous." Yevette said rolling her eyes.

"No! Loud noises and lights bother them!" Steven yelled looking at the tanker "Tell them to stop!"

"What are you talking about?" Yevette said looking down at Steven.

"You know there mermaids." Steven said getting a surprised look from Yevette but not Bella "There going to fight if you keep scarring them."

"They wouldn't do something so dumb." Yevette snapped.

"There cornered away from the sea around enemy's." Bella said softly to her wife "The Guardian will fight until either we lose or she does."

"Let me talk to them!" Steven slipped past Yevette and ran at the side of the truck "They'll listen to me!"

Both of his aunts yelled after him as he ran at the truck. Steven zig-zaged through the men causing a few to pause and stumble as to not fall over him. As Steven got close to the tanker he could hear his aunt coming up behind him quickly. He could also hear muffled growling from inside the tanker.

"Guys!" Steven said placing his hands on the side of the tanker hard, trying to make noise to get there attention from out here. "Can you hear me?!" He herd a muffled voice say his name and the feeling of tapping over his hands from the inside of the tanker. "Guys, don't fight! They won't hurt you if you don't fight!" Steven could feel his aunts presence appear behind his back and he started tapping on the tanker, talking quickly "I'll find you! I promise!"

"That's enough!" Yevette snapped grabbing Steven by the arm and yanking him away from the tanker.

All Steven could do was yell at them to not fight. As Yevette pulled him away he could hear his name being yelled from inside the tanker and more tapping. He didn't fight his aunt as she yanked him back over to Bella, who was holding Connie in her arms.

"Follow her inside and so help me if you don't listen Steven." Yevette couldn't even finish her threat as she roughly half shoved half through her nephew towards her wife. Steven just stood quiet as she turned back to the tank "Let the water out!"

Steven stood right next to Bella's leg as he watched. The men surrounded the tanker and three came forward and got onto there knees. Steven couldn't see fully what they were doing but the tanker soon shuttered for a moment before water started poring out of the bottom of it. The more water pored out the more clicking and growling could be heard in the air. As the water started to trickle back down the road the truck came in on, from where Steven was standing, the back of the tanker came away from the rest of the truck. It hit the ground with a thud and Yevette took a few steps up, fully blocking Steven's view. As she started to speak Bella got Steven's attention.

"Let's get your friend inside and looked at." Bella said gently taking Steven's hand. She could see the worry on his face as he looked at his friend but also the worry when looking back towards the tanker. "They won't fight Steven."

"How do you know?" He asked.

"Trust me." Bell said with a smile.

Steven took a breath as he squeezed his aunts hand. He didn't fight her as she started to guild him towards the double doors that were wide open. There was a slight clicking sound and a fierce growling one going on behind him and the only thing he could see was Jasper looking right at him then wildly around at everyone after he was shuffled past a few people. The only thing he could do for them now was give her a pleading look, begging her not to fight.

Bella took him and Connie into the building and only a few steps past the doors they came through before stopping. Looking up Steven could see the conflict in his aunts eyes. She kept looking at the open doors and shuffling from foot to foot slightly.

"They won't fight." Steven said gently tugging on her hand "But can we wait for them?" She looked down at her nephew "They won't fight if they see me and Connie are ok."

"Are you sure?" Steven nodded "How do you know?"

He smiled up at her with such confidence in his eyes "They promised."

Jasper was pissed. She wasn't able to move but was fully conscious as multiple men grabbed her off the car-wash floor. They half carried, half dragged her to the tanker out front. It took all the remaining men to pick her smoking form up and toss her into the tanker. It wasn't that they were weak in any sense of the word, she was just so _big_. Moving a being of almost pure muscle was no easy feat for any person.

Once she hit the water she took a deep breath. Her fin came and her body started to rapid heal itself. As a Guardian, when in full combat or threatened and in defense, Jasper had the unique ability to rapidly heal herself of any physically damage. After the battle Guardians would be out of fighting commission for a few hours but it usually gave them the boost they needed to win or defend. Right now it was purely for self preservation. She didn't like it but the amount of electricity that hit her was near fatal.

She groaned as a flash of blue covered her vision. The sound of a latch hitting and locking shut vibrated the tank and made her head swim for a few moments as her muscles tensed on reflex.

"Jasper?"

"Sapphire?" The Guardian focused to see the small aquatic hovering over her, her hands holding her face. She was trying to move but the smaller shushed her and told her to stay still. "Why are you here?"

"We were coming to find you and Pearl." Sapphire said "Bismuth let us out and-"

"She did't hurt any of you?" Sapphire had to smile at the Guardians words. Even fried like a jellyfishes next meal she was still ready to defend and protect. So one track minded that it was touching in this moment.

"No, no she helped us get all the way here, just off the coast in that sunken ship we passed by when we were called." The Reader said helping Jasper float up to a more orientated position. As she did however the tanker shuttered and the water moved as the feeling of vibration moved through the tank. The bigger aquatic flailed for a moment with Sapphire waving her hand "Take a breath. This thing were in is moving."

"Moving?" Jasper asked confused. "Moving where?"

"I'm not sure." Sapphire said "I can't put any runes on the walls of this structure for orientation but I can feel the others pulling for me. There looking for me and I'm trying to pull back but I have no central point to anchor too."

Jasper huffed but before she could ask anything else she felt herself shatter a bit inside. Pushing past Sapphire, as gently as she could, she reached out and grabbed Pearl. She was limp as Jasper pulled her companion to her. Sapphire was trying to talk to her but Jasper wasn't listening. She was running her hands over different spots on Pearl's form. Listening to her heart, pulling on there connection, feeling her being her energy. Panic was creeping up into her chest.

"Jasper. Jasper listening to me." Sapphire forced the Guardian to look her in the eye. "Calm down, she isn't dead." Jasper looked a bit broken as she looked back down at the smaller's sleeping face "Your still talking right? She formed her tail hasn't she? You can feel her connection stronger then I can so you know she is still alive."

"She isn't moving."

"I know."

"She isn't-"

"Jasper. We need to focus on our current situation. What happened to you two?" Sapphire cut off the Guardian's spiraling thoughts and tried to get her to focus. It was difficult. When a mermaids companion was hurt, they would spiral down a dark thought process. Worried if they were going to live or not, if they were going to come back, ect. Losing there companion to death would be a following sentence to the other. They would just give up on everything and fade away to nothing or swim off to never be seen again. It was not only devastating to the one who lost there other half but the pod who lost two in turn. This was one of the main driving forces to keep there companions safe. Sapphire had seen one two many pairs end up like this, one losing the other. Breaking these thoughts were hard but not impossible. "She is still alive and breathing. She is going to be ok but only if you focus for me. We don't figure out this situation none of us will make it out alive."

"Focus." Jasper nodded pulling Pearl close to her chest and holding her tight "Right. Focus."

"How did you guys get caught?" Sapphire said.

"After you sent me out of the cave I ended up at the lagoon. Found her very quickly along with Steven and Greg and a small shifter child thing."

"A shifter?"

"A descendant of Pepper."

"She's alive?"

"Not the point."

"Right."

"They took us back to there safe place, which lacked water and was terrible by the way, then we were found by the ones who started that damn war and now were here."

"What did they do to you both?" Sapphire asked reaching out and brushing some of Pearl's hair from her face. It was straight self restraint that she didn't lash out and break the smaller's hand clean off. She was in almost full protection mode in her head and it was just pure power of will she wasn't fully breaking the hell out of the tanker and everything around her. Right now, everything and anything was a threat to her and her companion and she was ready to defend her at any cost. "You both look terrible."

"They were waiting for us." Jasper growled. Her eyes were glowing slightly but she was too focused on not hurting Pearl in her arms to fully get angry "They let her go on purpose and then found us."

"This kind of attack seemed a bit excessive." Sapphire said, leaning away from Pearl after catching the suddle twitches in Jasper's form to her touching her companion, and moving to look over the burnt skin on the Guardian's arms. She didn't pay mind to her (now healed) burnt skin. Sapphire had seen it right away after both of them had been thrown into the tanker with her. Jasper had tough skin to begin with and probably didn't even notice her new strips."Was this all for you?"

"Both of us." Jasper answered moving her arm for Sapphire to see and unconsciously keeping Pearl blocked from her touch. It wasn't a rude gesture and Sapphire didn't mind. She would be the same way if Ruby were to be hurt. "They pinned me to the back wall with pressurized water and manhandled her." Jasper growled at the last part, her words mixing with clicks in her anger "We killed quite a few but then they electrocuted us, just like they used to in the war. We didn't stand a chance... Not after the second shock."

"They don't want us dead." Sapphire said softly as the tanker turned and threw them off balance slightly as they moved in a new direction. "They need us alive."

"She was with her..." Jasper said softly looking at the Reader then her companion "Bella is still alive and she was standing with that monster."

Sapphire looked like she had seen a ghost. Known to only those who had been around for the war, Sapphire used to be in Bella's seas. In her personal pod. When Bella was taken onto land and thought to be either lost or held captive her pods fell into chaos. Most were lost without direction or a leader and were heavy picked off by there enemy's. Sapphire, along with Blue and a few others, managed to get there minds in order and were able to slip back into the deep tunnels of there pods homes to hid. It saved there lives and made them some of the very few who survived all of Bella's pods slaughter. Knowing Bella was still alive filled her with excitement and fear. Her first reaction was to be happy to know of a (living) prominent leader again. The second was fear in knowing she had attacked them and tried to take the heart.

Conflict was evident in the smaller's eyes and the Guardian leaned over and nudged into her. Gentle nudges weren't as intimate as pressing there for-heads together but it was a comforting gesture none the less. It was a way in telling another that they could use them for support in anyway they need. Be it protection, healing, or comfort, the Guardian was reminding the smaller that she was there rock right now and that she wasn't going anywhere. Sapphire wasted no time in wrapping her small arms around the taller's shoulders from behind, getting almost fully covered under her long hair, and nuzzling her way into the bigger aquatics neck. She gently clicked to herself calming words as she closed her eyes.

They were quiet as they felt the tanker turn this way and that. As Sapphire was trying to calm her mind Jasper could feel the others pull on her. Being so close to the smaller the larger could sense the others looking for her. Jasper imitated a deep rumble from her chest in a comforting way. Sapphire let out a small rumble of her own as she calmed herself. Keeping close to the Guardian, the bigger could feel her start to pull back. She could feel her and Ruby tugging at each other hard while a secondary pull was also coming for the Reader.

"She really is helping us." Jasper said making the connection it was Bismuth pulling for Sapphire. She looked at the smaller to see her pearing up at the top of the tanker.

"She is very worried bout Pearl, not so much you though, sorry."

"I wouldn't be thrilled with me either." jasper said with a shrug "We didn't end on good terms and I had to be the bad guy."

"Did you really thought-"

"It was her or us." Jasper cut off Sapphires words gently but firmly "She caused enough damage. I couldn't let her continue to do what she wanted. Not around all of you." She huffed as the tanker made a sharp turn and through them off a bit "The pods safety comes before anything else."

"She still wanted to find you both, everything aside." Sapphire said nuzzling her face back into the Guardian's neck.

All Jasper could do was grunt in turn. She tuned into the pods tug of war with Sapphire as she looked down at Pearl. She started pulling on her own connection to one of the pod as she adjusted Pearl a bit in her arms. She reached up and brushed some of her hair from her face as she felt a slight tug back. Her body was racked with worry for her companion. She knew she was alive but until she opened her eyes she couldn't relax. Mentally she believed Sapphire with every word that she was going to be ok but it was hard to fight instinct. They all had seen so many bad things during the war. So many lost and broken. So many letting go and giving up. Despite everything, she found that out of all the battles and the loss they suffered, this was the hardest moment for her. The hardest thing she had to face.

The sudden shuttering of the truck to a stop had her focus again on her surroundings. The truck started beeping and moving again but at a much slower pace. Jasper tugged the shirt she had on over her head and pushed it into the smaller's surprised arms. "Put this on, quickly and stay behind me."

Shouting and hustling could be heard just outside of there watery prison. There was muffled words being shouted and thunderous footsteps all around them. Jasper's growls echoed through the water as Sapphire's own warning clicks and grunts accompanied her sounds. There was a thunderous booming voice calling out over the others and Jasper tightened her grip on her companion. Suddenly a thump of something tiny hit the side of the tank and startled them. There was a muffled voice and Sapphire quickly swam over to it. She listened for a few seconds before calling out. "Steven?!"

She listened a bit more to the small boy on the outside as she started tapping the side of the tank where he was. Sapphire was calling his name as his voice faded away. She clicked in annoyance and Jasper spoke up "What did he say?"

"He said not to fight. They won't hurt us if we don't fight." The Reader said.

Jasper didn't have a rhetorical remark as three big clunks echoed through the tank and the water started to quickly drain, causing the smaller to quickly swim back behind the Guardian to hide.

The aquatics sounds only grew louder the more water drained out of the tank. When the water was low enough there legs formed and Jasper quickly got to her feet. Sapphire pressed herself up against the Guardian's leg while brushing her now sticky wet hair from her face. Jasper looked down at Pearl as it took a few beats longer then she would of liked for her to glow and two legs to appear. It racked her with so much more worry but was hopeful all the same. If she truly was going to die she wouldn't of had the power to do reform like that. Nothing would of happened.

Jasper's growls grew even more as there was several loud grinding sounds. The aquatics flinched back harshly from the noise, Sapphire whining out in pain and Pearl stirring ever so slightly, as the back of the tanker fell away. The Elemental that shocked them stepped forward as the Guardian took a step back, forcing Sapphire to move with her.

"I'll make this simple." She said as her voice echoed into the tank "You do as your told and you'll live. You don't and I have no issue killing both of you off. We only really need the white one."

As she spoke Jasper was looking around wildly for a way out, a solution. All the water she could of used was now gone, she was severely out numbered, and now she had not only her companion to defend she now had one of there Reader's too as well. Sapphire could hold her own in a fight in there watery element but she was no match on land. She wasn't much taller then Steven and she wasn't built for fighting.

Steven.

The thought of the boy and his friend (and there promise) popped into her mind. Her eyes made another sweep over the crowd in-front of her. Past a few shuffling people she spotted the small boy way in the back of the crowd. He was with the older mermaid and the shifter, who was in her arms. Her body twitched in place very visibly and the Elemental in-front of her only turned slightly to see what caught the mermaids eye.

"Do as your told and he won't be hurt either." She said "Are you going to be good minnows and listen?"

Jasper couldn't stop her growling. She didn't want to move a step towards anyone past this tanker. She didn't want to do anything this monster in-front of her suggested but they were in no position to get the upper hand and Sapphire made this clear.

'Were no match up here' She clicked softly ' We need to do what they say' She just growled more 'She won't survive a fight up here'

This made Jasper's eyes shoot down to her Companion's face. She didn't have to think for long before taking a hesitant step forward. It was one careful step after another. Soon the Guardian was just a few steps away from behind face to face with the Elemental. Both of them were just huge and Jasper was eye level with Yevette. This seemed to make the other slightly uncomfortable for a moment before she turned away. "Follow me and remember, your in _our_ territory. We won't hesitate to take action if we need."

Jasper could only click her tongue. As Yevette started to walk away she told the aquatics to follow. They were hesitant but Jasper squared her shoulders and held her head higher then the bravery in her being right now. Leaning into Sapphire she adjusted Pearl's head to tuck it into her neck protectively before starting forward. The small Reader's hand never left her form as she followed close behind.

**Hidden Lagoon, Right outside the top entrance.**

Greg was un-happy. He was wet, he was standing waist deep in the cold water's of the sea, and was surrounded by creatures that could kill him just as easily help him to find his son and his friends. Now he was waiting for them to find a boat that could get him to there destination without him drowning.

"You look cold." Blue said softly looking at Greg. He was shivering as he was looking up at the night sky "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yea." Greg said through chattering teeth "I would like to be warmer though."

Ruby said nothing as she came closer to Greg and channeled her anger in not being able to get to her companion now into warming the water around her. It only took a few moments for Greg to sigh in comfort with a small thanks.

"What are you looking at?" Blue asked looking up at the sky "Is there some human thing up there?"

"Nothing but the stars." Greg said drawing Ruby's gaze up.

"What's o important about them?" Ruby asked.

"I don't get to see them like this too often." He said "The lights from town block out there light most nights."

"That sounds horrible." Blue said "Not being able to see the sky like this."

"It is a treat." Greg said.

It was a few minutes more before Peridot spoke up from the side "Do you miss her?" She looked over at Greg who gave her a questioning look "Rose."

"Every day."

"What was it like?" Peridot asked "What was she like? We never fraught along side her in the war, or at all."

"I was kept on the back with Sapphire." Blue said softly "We herd the tails and stories from the others but never more then what they wanted to tell us."

"She was... wonderful." Greg said looking back up at the stars. "She spoke a lot about you all and how much she cared about you the more the fought along side of you. She would get excited and tell me about your encounters when she would come back but... I didn't really listen." He shrugged "I felt like I wasn't really, well I guess , really worthy of knowing these things."

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"I felt that in time I would meet you and you would tell me theses things when you felt I was ready to know."

"That's respectful of you." Peridot said.

"I have a lot of respect for you all." Greg said "And my son adores you."

Blue saw the drop in Greg's face and she placed a hand on his leg "Will get him back."

"I hope so."

"Your water transport has arrived!" Amethyst's voice rang out from the darkness of the water after a bit more of waiting. The shadow of a big boat loomed into view from the sea as Amethyst appeared in-front of them "You won't believe how hard it was to get one of these."

"You tried to pick the biggest boat there." Lapis said coming from around the back of the boat as Bismuth and Garnet popped up in-front of the boat and stopped it floating into the rock.

"Bigger is better."

"Not when we want to get there quickly."

"Where did you guys get this?" Greg asked cutting off the small banter back and forth between the mermaids.

"From the docks." Amethyst said.

"Did you just _take this_?"

"Yup." Bismuth said "And Lapis picked a beauty."

"Wait. You stole a boat?!"

"Whats stealing?" Peridot asked.

Greg ran his hands up into his hair as the others ducked back into the water. The aquatics started talking about what to do next as Lapis came up to Greg.

"No-one was at the docks when we look it." She said flicking her wrist "It was also the only boat that didn't look prepped for the next day to be out on sea."

"That's good I guess." Greg said "Still feel bad about taking it-wait how do you know it wasn't prepped."

Lapis shrugged as Garnet started over to them "Because I died on a boat I worked on."

Before Greg could ask Garnet came right up to him. "Were ready."

Greg nodded and Bismuth pushed the boat to turn so he could get on it. As he climbed over the railing he was surprised to see Lapis joining him. He gave her a look and she just shrugged in turn. Both of them walked to the front of this boat, which wasn't very big to begin with. It was about the size of a sail boat if were being fair.

"Ok, we need to start heading that way." Greg said pointing away from the coast and down the shore line. "Its going to be a long journey since I don't have a way to make this boat move."

There was a small snicker among the group as the younger disappeared below the surface. Greg got instantly nervous when Bismuth smiled up at him.

"Oh, don't worry land lover." She said swimming backwards and sinking below the waves "Speed isn't a problem for us."

Before Greg could ask the boat rocked forward. Lapis knew this was coming and braced herself on her seat as Greg fell off his. In mere moment the boat was moving quickly across the seas surface. As Greg got back into his seat he could see the younger of the pod swimming next to the boat under the surface. They would disappear from view under the boat but someone else would trade places with them. It took a bit to get comfortable but when he did he looked to the aquatic sitting with him.

Lapis looked a thousand miles away as she perched herself right on the point of the boat. Her legs were curled up under her as her face was turned into the breeze. It was almost entrancing to look at but Greg cleared his throat and got her attention. Only when Lapis slightly turned her head in his direction did he speak.

"So... You died on a boat?"

"Yup."

"But I thought mermaids were born in the sea."

"We are."

"I don't understand." Greg said turning to look a Lapis better.

Her eye cracked open as her gaze seemed to pierced Greg's form for a few moments. She turned to face him as she grabbed the bar under her, holding herself in place as a few rough waves hit the front of the boat.

"I was on an arctic expedition team to study penguins. Though in all honesty, I was in it for a sea life _below_ the surface more."

"How did you die? I-If you don't mind me asking?" Greg stuttered out. He knew Lapis had a short temper like a Guardian and had no dout in his mind that she would of been classed as one in the war. To his internal pleasure she seemed to take a breath and look away from his gaze. It was un-like her to break eye contact like this but it was a touchy subject it seemed.

"Frost bite. We were packing up to go back to the boat one day but I trailed behind and got caught in a storm. I managed to get back to the boat but died." She shrugged "They wrapped me in my blanket and through my body over board."

"Why didn't they bring you back?" Greg asked bewildered.

Lapis simply shrugged and looked back out to sea. After a few moments Greg spoke again "How did you get turned into a mermaid then?"

"Bella found me. It was a day or two before the war started. I wasn't dead for more then a few hours before her pod found my body. I'm not sure what happened between my death and becoming this (she gestured down at herself) but I know I woke up alone. They said I took longer to turn because of how frozen I was." She glanced back at Greg "I woke up right after the final fight of the war."

Greg wanted to ask more but the mermaid seemed to not want to talk about it any more. The circumstances of her death didn't sit right with Greg. It striked him as weird. It all seemed rather fishy to him but Lapis seemed to not want to dwell on it.

It was a topic for another time. From here they fell into silence as the boat moved down the shore. The stars shinning brightly over there heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop! The fun (I believe) begins next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait to get this part up. It's been stuck in my head for a few weeks and I'm happy to finally have time to type it out. So excited. Enjoy!  
> This was also put up right before heading to work so for any mistakes, more then my usual, i am sorry!

**Chapter Ten**

Steven didn't have to wait long for the mermaids to be brought inside. Unfortunately Yevette was not only mad they were waiting, she didn't let him speak a word to them or walk near them either. She was currently leading the way down one of the many hallways in this building until they came to a big heavily made door. Before opening it Yevette turned to Steven. "You can't go in here."

"What? Why?" Steven asked.

"We have a few... 'things' in here right now and we don't want you to get hurt."

"Too late for that." Steven mumbled under his breath. He was still holding Bella's hand but was part way behind her, standing close to the mermaids. Well, as close he could be with several guys armed to the teeth between them. Yevette looked hurt for a moment, something her wife and the small aquatic caught before she turned away.

"Your coming with me Steven. Whinney wants to see you to look you over."

"Is that really necessary?" Bella asked pulling Steven behind her a bit more. "He has done everything we've asked of him since being here."

"Yes." Yevette said. "You know how she can be."

"Steven." Bella said turning to kneel in-front of him, being careful not to drop Connie out of her arm. "Make sure you listen to your aunt Whinney ok?"

"O-Ok." Steven said nervously. Bella smiled at him as she ran her hand through his hair a few times. Only the last time, she skillfully took the shell from Steven's ear. Steven himself looked a bit more nervous but was slightly reassured by Bella giving him a wink. As she stood Steven grabbed her hand again. "Will you be gone long?"

"Not long." Bella said slipping the shell from her hand into her pocket casually. "I have to get your friends here situated before I can join you."

"There not his friends." Yevette frowned.

"Don't worry Steven. They'll be ok." Bella said ignoring her wife.

"Promise?" Steven said looking over his shoulder at the aquatics. Jasper's eyes were constantly looking around them all. She never looked at anyone longer then a few seconds before moving onto the next person. Pearl was still asleep in her arms with her face tucked into Jasper's neck protectively. The Guardian was holding her companion very close and looked ready to snap at anyone who got too close to her. She looked to be breathing so that was good. It was only after he noticed that did he notice the third mermaid standing there. He remembered her name was Sapphire. She was pressed right up against the back of Jasper's leg and was looking between him and Bella. She was dripping water slightly onto the floor from the big shirt on her form as her hair stuck to her. She looked rather scared and Steven wanted nothing to do but give her a hug. He wish he could. He figured that she must of gotten caught like these two had but didn't look hurt so that was good. "Promise me they'll be ok."

"Promise." Bella said with a ruffle of his hair and a smile "Now, go one with Yevette."

Steven whined a bit but walked over to his aunt and slowly took her hand. Only after he started to move to her did Jasper let out a low growl. Yevette frowned and went to say something but Steven turned and spoke up first. "I-It's ok Jasper. I'll be ok." Jasper clicked her tongue and Steven continued "Just make sure Pearl is ok. And Connie." Jasper growled a bit more but with a look from Bella she turned her gaze down to Pearl's face with a small grumble "And no fighting."

Jasper couldn't help but roll her eyes and it made Steven smile a bit. Yevette and Bella were watching in a bit of surprise to the way the Guardian was reacting to Steven. They hadn't expected her to fully listen to them like she had been doing. They were ready for some type of fighting from the three but there was none. Bella had picked it up earlier but Yevette was just now realizing that the mermaid was being a bit protective of Steven, well of all of them honestly. As she looked around she always made sure the kids were in her line of sight. The Guardian wasn't letting anyone near the one in her arms and kept leaning to the side to make sure the other one was still with them. Even now, the Guardian kept looking around at all the armed men then down at her two then Steven and his friend. It was confusing to her why she was doing it but there was no ill intent or violence towards the kids flowing off the big aquatic and it was something she was going to talk to her wife later about. It just baffled her.

No other words were exchanged as Yevette started leading Steven down the hallway. Steven looked over his shoulder and waved to the aquatics one more time before disappearing around the far end of the hall. From here his stomach set into his nerves. He always dreaded seeing his aunt Whinny. She was always so cold with a cool unsettling look upon her face. It was like watching someone fake being alive when around others. He had only seen her truly smile once and it was the scariest thing he had ever witnessed. Even growing up around all three aunts, Whinney was the one he would never let hold him. He would cry and try to get away from her every time. Never wanted to be alone with her and even now, he was scared.

"Steven." Yevette pulled her nephew from his thoughts as they stopped at the beginning of a hall that lead to a huge pair of double doors. His aunt leaned down on one knee to talk to him on the same level. From here Steven could see the small specks of fear in Yevette's eyes and it made him feel sick. "When we go in there and see Whinney I need you to pretend you don't know about those mermaids ok?"

"Will she hurt me if I do?" He half asked half whispered as if someone could hear them speaking.

"Steven, you know your aunt Whinney can be too much to handle at times." Yevettte nervously glanced down at the double doors as they started to creek open "She will hurt them if you say you know anything about them or mermaids in general so don't say there any more then children's stories ok? I don't believe she will lay a hand on you but be weary Steven, I can't promise she won't try something."

Steven gave a weak nod as the far doors tapped against the wall with a loud clunk. It wouldn't of sounded so loud, or made the pair jump as high, if there was other noise going on right now but there was nothing. Whenever Whinney would come around the air always seemed to stand still, even on the windiest of days. It was always an eerie calm that sent his nerves into over drive and always made him feel a bit queasy. The air would become still and not even a bug would make a peep. Just utter silence.

"Steven." A chillingly calm voice called down the hallway "There you are."

"H-Hi aunt Whinney." Steven said looking down the hall to see his third aunt standing there with a smile.

"Hello Starlight." She said folding her arms behind her back "Come in and lets talk. It's been a while."

Yevette whispered in Steven's ear to play dumb before standing and taking his hand. As they started down the hall Steven's hands were starting to slightly shake. The closer they got the more Steven leaned into Yevette to the point where he was almost hiding behind her by the time they reached the doorway.

Stepping into the room, the doors shut behind them with a big thud, making the small boy jump rather high. The room it's self was cold. Colder then the ocean on a winter day. The floor was a white marble with a dark red rug running from the doors to a big desk of similar color. The walls were covered in various drapes of dark colors. His aunt stood in the center of the room, looking whiter then a peace of paper. Her white hair was pulled out of her face and pinned behind her ears. Her eyes were such a dull blue they could be white on there own. She was dressed like she had come back from doing something important or a big meeting of some type when she called for them.

Yevette's own hands were shaking as she pulled Steven further into the room. Her nervousness wasn't helping anything either. She took her nephew over to her sister but stopped a few steps shy of her. They have never seen eye to eye. Yevette and Whinney had a strained relationship from what Steven could see growing up around them. Whinney always seems to bring out the worst in Yevette and neither could be in the room with the other for too long before a fight would break out. Greg had always taken Steven and Bella into another room when there disputes would start but it wasn't a rare occasion to hear things breaking and the sounds of thunder and wind mixed in, as strange as it was. Steven knew about the fighting but never to the extent it could get. Between the pair they have brought down entire buildings with there disputes.

"I've missed you starlight." Whinney said closing the space between them and kneeling in front of Steven with her arms open "It's been a while."

Steven didn't say anything as he stepped forward to give Whinney a hug. She didn't hug him for long, her hold itself was off putting and distant. It was like hugging someone too fragile and creepy. That she would either break in half or rip your head off. It was always a toss up. That also didn't compare to the cold seeming to seep into Steven's skin from her either. Whinney didn't hold onto him for long before pulling away and looking him over.

Steven knew to hold still and let her move him this way and that. He never understood why she would do this but she would look him over very carefully. For anything that was out of place, not normal, not right. Steven had asked his dad once and he said it was because his mom was very clumsy growing up and Whinney just wanted to make sure he was ok, if he was just as bad. However, as Steven got bigger he suspected it was for other reasons she did this. A pang of fear hit Steven's chest for a moment as Whinney looked in his ears before remembering Bella had taken the shell from him. It made him pause for a moment in wonder as to _why_ she would look in his ears in the first place.

Whinney seemed satisfied, after what felt like a very long time, she smiled and patted her nephews head a little too hard before standing up. "I herd you have had an exciting day."

"It was ok." Steven said fixing his shirt "I was happy to hear I was getting to come spend time here with you four."

"It is, isn't it." Whinney said folding her arms in-front of her loosely with a crooked smile.

"I can't wait to see Yellow." Steven said glancing at Yevette "I've missed her."

"Shes missed you too starlight." Whinney said looking up as the doors they came through opened.

"Has anyone seen Yellow?" Bella asked poking her head into the room.

"Not since we left this morning." Yevette answered looking at her wife.

"She has to be around here somewhere dear." Whinney said looking down at Steven "Why don't you go wonder to her room and look for her. I have to speak with your aunts here for a moment."

"I rather wait if that's ok with you aunt Whinney." Steven said catching the nervous look on Yevette's face and the fearful one on Bella's. Steven had noticed, since coming to see them, that whatever room Whinney would occupy or spend her time in, Bella wound refuse to go in there. She would always stand just outside the threshold of those rooms and would never step inside without Yevette being right by her side holding her hand. Steven had always thought it was very strange but he figured Whinney wasn't just making him nervous. He could understand her hesitation.

"It's not, but you can wait outside the door for Bella." Whinney said gesturing to the door before pushing him forward a bit.

Yevette saw the way Steven was picking up on the situation and she waved her hand before giving him a gentle pat on his back "We won't be long Steven."

"Y-Yes, of course." Bella said stepping aside for Steven to pass "Then will go looking for Yellow together alright?"

Steven gave a nod as he walked out into the hall. He looked back to see Bella giving him a reassuring smile before turning and quickly walking to Yevette's side as the door slowly closed behind him.

It was taking a lot for Jasper to listen to the Elemental leading the way through this horrible place that lacked water. It took even more to let Steven be lead away from them. She was still in her word to keep them safe and this didn't seem very safe to her. She was pissed. She was scared. She wanted to fight and run all at the same time. Her companion came first and this was the last place she wanted her to be. She had to wake up or move or _something_.

"You all can go." The aquatic in-front of them said, pulling her out of her head "I can handle it from here."

"We really can't do that."

"Your wife made it clear we are to stay by your side until these three are securely transported and contained-"

"I know what your orders are." Bella said cutting them off with a wave of her hand "And I'm giving you new ones."

"But Miss-"

"What you can do is open this door and stand outside of it until I come back out." Bella said.

"Yes Ma'am."

Jasper could feel the power rolling off this aquatic beauty they thought had been lost to the land long ago. Her soft spoken voice and calm outside was misleading to the head held high confidence she could see in front of her now. There was no mistake she was who her name claimed her to be. Part of Jasper, a deep down part in her core, wanted to bow. Wanted to have her pledge her loyalty as a Guardian to her but most of her held back. The feeling was easy to push away but not ignore. They all were still in danger. She found them in the cave, she fought and hurt her companion. Jasper didn't really know what to think.

Bella turned and opened the door behind her. She didn't even give a glance at the aquatics behind her as she walked through. Sapphire understood they needed to follow and gently pushed on the back of the Guardians thigh. The bigger aquatic got this hint and glanced down at the smaller before following Bella.

When they walked into the room they stopped just a few steps in. The room was huge. A gigantic water tank that reached almost to the ceiling dominated most of the back half of the room. To the right were several big cages with only one being occupied. To the left were several big machines that seemed to flash gentle pulsing lights and beeps. There were different clicks and whizzing sounds bouncing around the room at different times and it was making the Guardian and Reader twitch slightly, the noise uncomfortably hitting there ears. There was also several big tubes of water, seeming to be connected to the tank, and a big one with chains standing alone.

When they stopped Bella had turned back to face them. A voice in the room called out to the shifter child in Bella's arm as she walked back towards the door. Jasper instinctively growled and back up, moving her and Sapphire off to the side. She was ready to grab all the water in the tank to attack the other but she just walked right by them. Bella reached out and shut the door they had come through.

"What did you do to her?!" Jasper looked up to the only cage that had something in it. There was a women standing there holding the bars and a man who looked to be worse for wear sitting against the back wall on there confinement. There was a click of familiarity in her face but the Guardian couldn't place where she knew her from. "Connie?!"

"Take a breath." Bella said turning away from the aquatics and walking over to a random table in the room. "She is alive."

"Shes not moving." The women's voice cracked as she followed Bella as far as she could in the cage.

Bella said nothing as she laid Connie on the table. She made sure she was situated before telling the woman to wait. From here she turned back to the aquatics and Jasper barred her teeth. The bigger aquatic took a step towards the trio and Jasper barred her teeth more with a low growl starting to fill the room. She was holding Pearl as close and as tight as she could to herself without hurting her companion and was fully blocking Sapphire from anything Bella could do to them. She was ready to defend them with her life.

Bella knew this and had stayed a good distance from the Guardian. She held her hands up gently as she spoke to them. "Can I check her?" Jasper growled louder and took another step back. Her eyes were staring to glow but inside she could feel the strain on her body. She was starting to push against her limits and if she did too much she would pass out and that is the last thing she wanted to do. "I just want to make sure she is going to be ok." Bella gently took a step forward "She got shocked more then you and we both know she can't easily shake that off like you or I could."

The Guardian was huffing and trying to hold it together. She didn't want Bella or anyone any closer to her companion or there Reader. Bella could see the water in the tank start to move ever so much, noting to the Guardian starting to gather it to use. She could easily over power the three of them right now but she didn't want too. She didn't want to hurt them and she knew she had to take control of the situation. She needed there trust or at the very least there corporation.

"Guardian." Bella's said adding power and command behind her words. Her voice started to layer with the whispers from her first meeting with the one unconscious. It was a unique ability that only her and Penny could do. "Stand down."

She held eye contact with the Guardian as non threatening as she could. She didn't want to come off as hostile but also silently demanded respect from the other. It didn't take long for Jasper to back down and break eye contact. Guardian's were very strong willed and built tough to begin with but when faced with an elder, they were not able to be disrespectful like this. You bow to those above you and protect those below you. In this moment, no matter how hard Jasper wanted to stand against her, she couldn't.

Sapphire could see the conflict in the Guardian's eyes as she broke off from staring down Bella to look at Pearl. She could see the pain in her face from Pearl not really moving still and the need to protect her was very great. Sapphire knew that Pearl should of stirred by now or done something. Shes been asleep for too long.

'Jasper' Sapphire clicked quietly getting the taller's attention 'Let her help us'

'No' A defiant click was very rough slipping through her clenched jaw.

'She isn't waking up on her own' Sapphire said touching Jasper's leg again 'The longer we wait... she mite not wake up at all'

Jasper was huffing and puffing as her thoughts raced around her head. While this was going on Bella turned her attention back to the two in the only occupied cage. She walked over to the door they all came through and locked it quickly. Once she was done she walked over to the cage and started to unlock it.

"I have to go to get my nephew soon." Bella said opening the cage and letting the women dart out past her "Be quick Priyanka."

The doctor moving across the room quickly got the smaller aquatics attention. Her name is what clicked in her head and she spoke without thinking first "Your Pepper's descendant."

The doctor didn't answer as she went right over to Connie. As she looked her over Bella came back over and stood in front of the Guardian once more. "Guardian." Jasper looked at her "Either you let me help her or you can hope she will wake up on her own."

With a rather loud growl Jasper clicked out to Bella to help her companion. No matter how Jasper felt about the other her companion came first. The older mermaid nodded and walked over to one of the big tanks. Next to it, on a desk, was a computer that was covered by a tarp. She moved the tarp asside and typed in a few codes. While she did this Sapphire was watching the doctor look over Connie. She was muttering to herself and looked very worried. Sapphire looked up to see Jasper's gaze focused on Bella so she turned and went over to the doctor. The Reader walked up slowly and the doctor jumped when she saw her.

"She's not waking up." The doctor said. "I-I'm not sure whats wrong."

Sapphire looked down at Connie and looked her over carefully. She was stone still as she laid there. Her chest was rising and falling lightly while her face looked to be in just the slightest bit a pain. Sapphire slowly stepped up to the edge of the table and pulled herself up to sit on top. As she did this Doctor Maheswaran stopped and watched her. "What are you doing?"

"Do you want me to heal her?" Sapphire asked gently.

"You can do that?" The doctor asked hopeful.

Sapphire nodded "I healed you a few times during the war. Since she is your descendant then it shouldn't be too much of a difference between your genetic make up. Its nothing powerful just a bit of a spark to help fix whatever is going on inside her right now."

The doctor looked at her for only a moment before nodding and looking down at her daughter "Will she be in pain?"

"I'm not sure but I don't think so." Sapphire said. With this she fell silent. The Reader moved to be on her knees and she leaned over the sleeping child. She placed one hand over her chest and another on her forehead. Her eyes glowed for a moment before she closed them. Hushed words of healing and hope filled the space around the three of them gently.

As that was happening Bella had come back to stand in front of Jasper. She was very cautious as she stood in front of the Guardian. Jasper was doing her best to hold still and keep her growling as low as she could manage. Bella understood the amount of control she was having over herself right now. She was surprised she didn't attack anyone yet and she was counting her lucky stars over it. Guardians rarely had control over instinct to protect there companions and defend there pods. It was always hit first, ask questions later if the person or thing was still alive.

"Your doing wonderfully in being calm Guardian." Bella said getting Jasper to look up at her. Jasper grunted and Bella chose her next words carefully "For me to help her I need to touch her." Jasper growled louder as she gently raised her hands "I know you don't want anyone to touch her and I understand that fully but for me to make sure she is ok I need to touch her."

Sapphire finished her words and gently pulled away from Connie. The child coughed a bit and opened her eyes. The doctor almost burst out in tears as she pulled Connie into her arms and held her close. She muttered out several thank you's as Connie blinked into focus and saw her mom.

"Mom?" Connie sounded horse but ok and Sapphire smiled gently.

"I'm so happy your safe." Priyanka said kissing her daughters head. It took a few more breaths for Connie to start crying too and cling to her mothers shirt. This made the Doctor hold her closer against her.

Sapphire smiled at them before tuning into the Guardian's sounds. Turning around Sapphire could see Bella standing very close to the bigger aquatic and having a hard time talking to her. Guardians in general were stubborn to talk to, harder to get to listen to yourself, and Jasper was one of the most difficult to deal with. Her ego would not only get in the way at times but her pride in her title could prove to be, and was, a problem right now. She took her needs to protect, defend, and serve too far at times, even though it wasn't fully her fault. The Reader knew she had to intervene not only for there safety but for Pearl's well being. They needed the help and Jasper's need to protect her could be her down fall.

Sapphire got off the table and quickly went back to Jasper's side. She placed a gentle hand on the bigger's leg and got a dark look snapped down at her for a moment. She flinched back for a second in response but held firm in her stance. 'Jasper. Stand down'

Jasper was starting to breath hard and her grip was getting a bit tighter around Pearl. They could see Pearl twitch with a slight look of discomfort cross her face for a moment. Bella could not only feel the connection between the two in-front of her but also could feel the smaller's discomfort. The Guardian was unintentionally sending waves of worry into her companion and she was responding to it. Bella knew she wanted to wake up but needed that extra push to open her eyes.

'Guardian' Bella clicked getting her full attention 'You need to try and relax. Your worry is smothering her'

Jasper's eyes darted down to Pearl's face and it just made her worry more. She could see the discomfort on her companions face an the small twitches of her fingers tucked safely in her lap. She was hurting her and it broke her inside.

She didn't want to hurt her.

'Please' Jasper clicked so soft they almost didn't hear it 'She needs to wake up'

'She will' Bella clicked 'Hold still the best you can so I can help. The more you move the longer it will take' Jasper took a deep breath and gave a slow nod.

Bella nodded in turn and looked down at Pearl. As she looked her over she slowly moved her hands. It was the power of Poseidon himself that was keeping Jasper from ripping Bella's arms from her body. She didn't want her anywhere near Pearl's form right now. She didn't want anyone near her but she needed the help and she would do anything for her. _Anything._

Bella was pleased when her hands touched Pearl's form. She wasn't cold or dead so that was a plus. She placed a hand over Pearl's heart and one over her mark on her forehead. Bella closed her eyes and slowly tuned into the energy of the smaller. She could feel Pearl's life within her. It was a drowsy feeling like just after waking up but not feeling fully aware yet. She could feel that the protector was aware enough to know something was going on and that her companion was in distress. She could feel her pushing and pulling on her connection with the Guardian but not seeming to get anywhere with it. She was trying to wake herself up but couldn't. There was a block within her mind that was keeping her from opening her eyes and she could feel the panic that was creating. Bella focused in on this block and gently started to smooth it away. Like running your hand across sand Bella started to brush away the block from her mind. Layer by layer she could feel Pearl start to panic less. At first she recoiled from Bella's presence in her mind but soon relaxed in feeling her help. As she worked she pushed Pearl's mind towards her companions connection with her. It was a gentle push in a familiar direction to help her wake up. When Bella was satisfied she pulled her hands away and opened her eyes to smile gently at the Guardian. 'There, she will be just fine'

Jasper was flexing her fingers and standing still the best she could while Bella was touching Pearl in self control. She kept telling herself she was helping her companion and not hurting her but by the gods it was hard to listen to reason right now. Sapphire's hand rubbing her thigh gently helped to a degree and her reminder to breath as well. Through all of this Jasper was pulling hard on her connection with Pearl. Every second that passed she could feel her companion start to pull back. It was gentle at first but got stronger with each tug. Only when it was almost a tug of war did Bella open her eyes. Release washed over the Guardian as Bella dropped her hands and smiled at her. Her words were reassuring and it made Jasper feel so much better. She felt it even more when Pearl suddenly took a deep breath and moved on her own for the first time. She smaller tucked her face more into Jasper's neck wish a soft sigh.

Bella took a few welcomed steps back from both party's. "Pyrianka." She got the doctors attention and held the aquatics "I need to go check on my nephew. Can I trust you to set these three up for me?"

"Bella..." The doctor held Connie close as she clung to her mother.

"You don't have to lock the tanks tops just keep them calm for me." Bella looked behind her at the door before back at the shifter.

"Your asking a lot of me right now." The Doctor looked at her with tired eyes that the Reader caught as the Guardian was too focused on looking between Bella and her companion.

"I know." Bella gave a sad smile as she turned and walked to the door "I wish I could do more for you all right now but this is the best I can do."

"I know."

Bella unlocked the door and didn't give a glance back into the room as she stepped out of it and into the hallway, locking it behind her. Her head was full of confusion for the whole situation. She didn't understand what Whinney wanted with her and her kind. After she was forced up here Whinney seemed to loose all interest in the one who was to be given to her. Only after she was forced to go down to try (and fail) to get the heart did the Elemental suddenly want her promised treasure again. Seeing that shimmer in her eyes scared Bella more then anything. These thoughts didn't go unnoticed by her wife either. They both were fearful of what Yevette's older sister would do with the power she suddenly wanted again. They tried so hard to get her to forget about the underwater world but it seems they didn't try hard enough.

These thoughts plagued Bella as she walked down the hall and headed towards Whinney's office.

**Just off the shore line, stolen boat**

Greg was pretty cold by the time they started to reach there destination. The wind had dried him off but reminded his body that it was night and the sea was cold, semi freezing his cloths to his body. He was doing his best to keep an eye on the coast line as they moved, trying to spot land markers and natural formations to give him an idea of how close they were. It wasn't easy in the dark on the water but Greg was managing the best he could. As they got closer he started to recognize the beaches they were passing.

"Hey Lapis!" The thin mermaid opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder at him. Greg pointed to the cliffs in the distance as he spoke "Were getting close! There place should be right up here! Were gonna want to-really?"

Lapis didn't let him finish his words before she stood and gracefully dove off the side of the boat and back into the ocean. Her form was a light becon in the otherwise dark waters for a moment before Greg felt the boat start to slow.

"Whats up Lapis?" Peridot asked as the blue aquatic flashed next to them and caught up to her side.

"Were coming up on the place." She said looking back at Bismuth and Garnet pushing the boat from behind "Slow her down."

Both older aquatics stopped pushing the boat forward. Simultaneously the younger's swam up to the front of the boat and pushed against it. It wasn't a gentle stop but it didn't throw Greg off his feet this time. He was ready for it. As the boat slowed to a gentle coast forward the mermaids popped there heads out of the water.

Greg was waiting near the side of the ship and when the Guardian popped her head out to look at him. He pointed ahead of himself at the cliffs coming more into view. "Our destination is around that far cliff side."

"Is it heavily guarded?" Garnet asked as Bismuth popped up a bit behind her at the back of the boat while the others gathered at the front and side closest to there protector. This was unfamiliar territory and water to them. They didn't really know anything about this area. Those from the war had this area scarred into there minds as a no travel zone. The enemy forces had been heavily concentrated in this area. To the younger's it was just ill intent blanketing the entire area and they had no desire to be any further into this sea then needed.

Greg shook his head as they drifted the boat forward "Not as far as I know on the ocean side. Street side however." Greg took a breath that unsettled a few of them "That's a different story."

"More resistance?" Bismuth asked.

"Last time I came for just a visit my van was thoroughly search and it took over an hour to even get in the door."

"That strong?"

"That strong." Greg nodded "Steven's three aunts are very... paranoid I guess? Well, The sisters are. Both of them are very jumpy but Bella seems to not be like that. Shes rather nice-"

"What dose she look like?" Garnet asked cutting Greg off. "The third aunt?" She got a strange look from Greg and the younger's but Bismuth understood what she was asking, so did Blue. They could see the look on the Guardian's face that mirrored there own. Worry. Fear. Questioning of the unknown and the known they didn't want to face.

"Bella?" Greg got a stiff nod and as he started to describe her, the ones who knew her or of her, it dawned on them one by one. "Well shes really tall. She is very pale, she looks to be blue in most light but with meeting the lot of you she more then likely _is_ blue. Her hair is a light blue like the smaller aquatic your missing..." The last though made Greg pause as he took in the pods varying faces of concern and worry to fear "...She would always take Steven to the beach but never..."

As Greg's thought trailed off the aquatics quickly stopped the boat, throwing him forward and almost off the front, as they ducked under the water.

"Are you freaking serious?" Lapis hissed.

"Take a breath." Peridot said with her own voice failing her for a moment.

"Shes alive." Lapis snapped a bit louder as Blue had her hands clasped in front of her and was shaking just enough to gain the Lone and Guardian's attentions "She's alive and didn't fucking come back for us!"

"Why would she be up there?" Bismuth said frowning "She must be still held against her will."

"N-No. He _just_ said she would take Steven to the beach." Amethyst said "She-She- She had the chance to run. Lots of them!"

"She chose to stay up there." Blue spat out louder then anyone thought was possible for her. It made the others jump and Garnet reach out to her. She didn't have more then her fingers brush the smaller's arm before she yanked back out of her reach. "She had every chance to leave and come back to us but she didn't!"

"Blue." Garnet reached out further and didn't let her pull away this time. Getting a good grip on Blue's arm the Guardian pulled her to herself then tilted the smaller face up. Blue's eyes were closed and her hair waved around her face, keeping it partially hidden but that didn't stop the emotion flowing off of her. She was shaking and was very upset. Blue had come from Bella's personal pod. The elder had taking a liking to the thin blue mermaid by her side. It hurt Blue just as much, if not more, then Sapphire when she was taken and assumed to be lost. Now with this new information, with knowing she was still alive, hurt. It hurt deeper then any wound could do and Garnet could see this written all over Blue's face.

"Why wouldn't she come back?" Blue whispered opening her eyes and looking so broken "Dose she not want us anymore? Are we nothing to her?"

"Were not nothing." Garnet said pulling her into a hug.

"She fell in love with that being on land." Bismuth said "Could anyone really walk away from there companion like that?" She looked back up to the surface "No matter where they come from."

Garnet frowned as Blue nuzzled her face into her neck. The Guardian let out a soft rumble from her chest to help smooth the thin aquatic as her eyes roamed up to the waters surface. The others were giving off worried vibes over these new facts. The only one not worried was Lapis. She looked to be distressed like Blue but was trying to keep her emotions under control. That in itself was difficult. Mermaids in general were very shy to outsiders but also very open within there own kind. Showing emotion was normal. Being close and clingy, touchy, a bit flirty, was expected. They weren't shy in showing there love and concern for each other physically over verbally but for Lapis it was hard. She wasn't used to being open like this and has really struggled in opening up this way. Didn't mean she wasn't trying.

"Keep moving." Garnet said after a few more moments of holding Blue close, Amethyst coming up and curling around them both a bit for extra support. "Sooner we get the three of them back the sooner we can head back."

"Will it even be safe to go back?" Peridot asked.

"Nothing is safe right now." Bismuth said as she silently watched Ruby swim up to the back of the boat and pop up to talk to Greg. "We take this one step at a time."

Greg was a bit worried when the pod dived under the water but his own thoughts were running around in his head. It never really dawned on him that Bella could be a mermaid but everything he knew about her started to make more sense the more he thought about it. She was always covered up head to toe in a long dress of sorts. Never showing skin aside from the neck up and her hands. She was always covered and spoke very little. In all the time he has known her and spent any real amount of time with her she never really came into contact with water. She never drank it or touched it really. When water would come in contact with her skin she was always quick to wipe it away and Steven had always said that every time they would go to the beach she never stepped foot in the ocean.

Greg was so focused on putting the peaces together in his head that he didn't really acknowledge Ruby surfacing until she spoke. "How much further?"

Greg blinked a bit before looking forward. He squinted a bit before pointing "Just around the cliff face here." As she spoke the others slowly surfaced and listened "We need to stop before we round the cliff face or there going to see us."

"So slow and steady?" Ruby asked swimming back a bit and joining Garnet and Bismuth at the back of the boat. With a nod they slowly started pushing the boat forward. As they moved the ones not pushing the boat were swimming right under it. As the two older aquatics took turns swimming with there heads above water and below the younger's were rotating who was swimming in front under the boat. There eyes stayed glued to the shore line to there left and the darker waters to there right.

The ill intent in the water was heavily coating the whole area and saturating there path forward the closer they moved to there target. It didn't take Greg long for him to pick up on the pods distress. Bismuth and Garnet had slightly pained looks on there face as they moved forward. Ruby was slightly shaking with her eyes glued to the shore line. Also in not seeing any of the other mermaids he told them to stop. "Just push me close to the cliff side."

"You all look like your gonna run away." Greg said as they slowed the boat and started pushing it towards the cliff side "J-Just don't hit the boat against the rocks. Remember I can't breath under water and I don't think any of you would want to save me from drowning."

"Nope." Lapis said popping the last letter "But your more valuable alive then dead right now so."

Greg felt a bit put off with Lapis' shrug but excepted the answer none the less.

"What can you tell us about this place?" Bismuth asked as her and Garnet slowed the boat to a gentle sway. The others came up close to them as Blue submerged herself below the waves.

"Well it's a big building." Greg said thinking while gazing up at the cliff looming over him. "Very well guarded and very hard to get in and out of."

"How well do they check people coming in and out?" Bismuth asked.

"Very well."

"So if we just walked up." Bismuth frowned at the growl from the Guardian before she ducked under the surface of the water "It's just a question, don't bite my head off."

"They will know who you are before they even get a good look at you."

"Whats that supposed to mean?" Peridot asked.

"You guys fought them right? They know what a bunch of mermaids walking up to there front door is going to look like." Greg said "A bunch of naked women walking around will draw anyone's attention. Your scales are a big give away too."

Blue ducked under the surface as they started to talk to Greg. She needed a bit of space. Some time to her self real fast. Situations this complicated and heavily weighed upon her emotions tended to stress her out greatly. The silent aquatic tended to close off from others and crack a bit at the seams. It has been a long time since something this taxing had happened to her. The last few times she had there missing Guardian and Protector to lean on, to hide behind. They were the steady rock for her and right now she needed them more then she thought she ever did. They were so close and yet out of reach.

Blue swam a bit down from the ship and away from the others as she tugged on her connections. She yanked hard and fearfully on the other Guardians connection and then harder still when she couldn't feel Pearl's. It was still there, she could still feel that she was alive but that strand holding them together was very thin and laxed. Just like a one way mirror she could pull on her end but couldn't get a pull back from the other.

This in it's self made Blue huff. As she loosely wrapped her arms around herself she looked around the rocky wall ahead of her. No part of this cliff face from top to sand was smooth. It was all jagged peaces and no hidden coves for anything bigger then a fish to hide in. This is what helped it stand out to her, and the figure within.

A few feet from the ocean floor was a very big pipe. the rock round it was smooth and it jutted out into the water a good few inches before ending with a metal grate. Blue was confused by what she saw. She had seen pipes and stuff like this before all over the world but the person inside had what really caught her eye. She had only seen a arm but it was enough to get her attention. Curiosity is one hell of a thing. Mermaids were very curious creatures by nature. It could be deadly as it is dangerous. Blue knew this rather well but part of her still wanted to see who, or _what_ , it was in that pipe.

Going against her better judgment Blue started to swim slowly down towards the pipe. She kept within the shadow of the boat but to get a good look she would need to come around the cliff side fully. She stopped right next to the rock face and silently watched the pipe. It didn't take long for the same person inside to peak out again. As they spotted her Blue got a flash of yellow as they ducked back out of sight.

Blue couldn't stop the curiosity in her as she pushed forward. She slowly swam away from the wall and towards the pipe. As she moved Garnet was right behind her. She kept a bit of distance from her but kept her in her line of sight. As Blue neared the pipe Garnet kept herself against the wall where Blue just was. The Guardian was trying to keep everyone in sight and keep out of sight herself. She knew Blue couldn't help the curiosity in her right now but it picked the worst time to come out.

Blue slowly came up to the front of the pipe from underneath. She slowed down and as she came to the lip she could hear something shifting inside. Blue peaked her head over the bottom lip of the pipe and came face to face with another mermaid. They both flinched back and Blue ducked under the pipe out of view. There was a shuffle and a gasp from inside the pipe followed by quite a few bubbles.

It was a few moments before a voice spoke out. "W-Wait!" From where Blue was under the pipe she could see just the tips of the figures fingers as she spoke. "Please come back. I didn't mean to scare you."

Blue's gaze flickered over towards the direction of the others. She could see Garnet lingering in the shadow of the boat on the cliff wall, eyes glowing a deep smoldering purple as she watched over her. Blue felt a little better and a bit silly now. She realized the situation currently wasn't the best moment to be curious but she felt safer knowing the Guardian was keeping an eye on her.

Blue looked up at the pipe ans slowly swam up to peak over the lip again. As she looked into the pipe she was face to face with a pretty pair of yellow/amber eyes. Golden hair and a daisy colored tail in front of her wrapped in a... Blue wasn't sure what it was but it didn't look like a shirt. It was wrapped around her chest tightly but wasn't loose. It puzzled her for a moment until the figure spoke.

"I was told mermaids like me didn't exist anymore." The figure said as she leaned back a bit to get a better view of Blue. The thin mermaid was silent as she looked over the other on the inside of the pipe. "Your very pretty."

"Are you trapped in there?" Blue asked looking at her and swimming a bit more up, exposing her just under her shoulders. She noticed the way the other looked at her and turned her face away, turning it a light red Blue didn't understand.

"N-No." The figure said trying not to look Blue over too openly "I can leave whenever I want but my moms don't like me wondering too far."

Blue tilted her head slightly as she looked behind her and further into the pipe. It went back for a few feet before making sharp turn up and disappearing out of sight. "Dose this go o the big building?"

"Why?" The figure asked backing up a bit. She looked confused until Blue felt a tug. She felt a strong tug from there missing peaces and both there eyes flicked up for a moment. "Your here for the three we have inside aren't you?"

"Are they hurt?" Blue asked.

"Um, I don't think so. One was being carried but she is alive from what I herd." She looked over her shoulder back into the pipe before back at Blue.

"Can you help us get to them?" Blue asked swimming a bit more up and grabbing the grate with both hands "Please we-"

"Don't touch that!" The other mermaid smacked Blue's hands and quickly pushed them off. This made the other jump and swim back a bit, causing the Guardian to move a bit forward at the sudden sight of thin hands pushing the other away. There was a buzzing from the yellow mermaid and from a small bag the quiet aquatic didn't see she watched her pull a small object from inside. It was buzzing and the other looked a bit distressed. "I-It's ok! It was just me.'

"Y-Yea I accidentally hit the grate on the way back in... no mum, I'm not- of course I'm the only one out here." She looked to Blue as the other clasped her hands in-front of her chest in nervousness "Other mermaids don't wonder this way remember?"

As she spoke Blue felt uneasy. She backed up just a bit as she looked over to Garnet. The guardian was closing the distance fast as she skimmed along the sea floor. She felt very uneasy with Blue being so far from the others and it was instinct now. Safety in numbers and Blue being by herself with an unknown was the complete opposite of that.

"I need to go back inside." The yellow mermaid said look back at Blue as she grabbed the tiny bag she had and flung the strap over her shoulder. "I need to pass the three your looking for, do you want me to tell them anything?"

"Um." Blue looked to her left as Garnet suddenly reached her and grabbed her arm. The mermaid in the pipe back up a good bit in surprise as all she could see was a dark figure with glowing eyes just partly looking in at her. Nothing was more unsettling then being on the other end of a Guardians glowing glare. It could instill fear into there enemy's and most turned tail and run. Those who didn't would freeze in place. The other did the first and fled up the pipe in a flash of bubbles with a startled gasp.

Garnet just growled up the pipe for a moment before looking at Blue and turning, pulling her away from it. She moved Blue in-front of her as she moved them quickly back towards the others. As they rounded the cliffs edge there was a shift in the water and a deep rumble from behind. The Guardian moved them quickly around the far end and Garnet turned to face the direction they just came.

"What was that?" Ruby asked.

"A complication." Bismuth said as Garnet started to growl deeply, pushing the younger's up towards the boat. "That's about to get much more complicated."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

It didn't take long for the shouting to start. Steven felt uncomfortable just standing out in the hallway already. His aunt Whinney and Yvette starting to yell at each other wasn't helping. There voices were getting louder and starting to come out of the doors at Steven's back. It made him flinch away and move away from the door. As they got louder and louder he moved further an further down the hall. From what Steven could hear it was about the mermaids they came here with and himself. Neither things were what he wanted to hear about so against his word to stay put, Steven turned and started down the hall.

It didn't take long for Steven to get lost. He had been here before, his aunts and cousin seemed to live where they worked, but he had always had at least one of them with him. This building was huge. Steven had never been allowed to walk around alone or to certain places without an escort. Not even his cousin Yellow was allowed to go around most of the building. Whenever he came over the pair of them would spend most of there time down in there launch bay deep under ground. It was like a private boat dock. The workers here would pull the boats out and the pair would swim for hours with the bay doors open and the sun filtering in. They always had at least two guards stationed to watch them or the cameras on but they never felt threatened while down there. It was there safe space, aside from his cousins room.

As Steven walked around he could hear the sound of his aunt's fighting echoing down the halls. The walls would occasionally quiver as the floor ever so slightly vibrated. The lights in the halls would flicker here and there and the occasional shout would echo past him louder then the rest. It all just made him walk faster.

It took a while but when Steven rounded the corner of one of the halls he saw the door the aquatics were taken in to. He didn't know if they were still inside but it didn't stop him from running down the hall and start knocking on the door rather loudly.

"Pearl? Jasper?" Steven practically yelled at the door. "Connie?"

He could hear a shuffling from the other side after a few moments "Steven?"

"Guys?" Steven got excited as he knocked on the door more as the sound of it unlocking came to his ears "It's me! Open up! Are you all ok? Are you-"

The door opened just enough to show his cousin Yellow standing on the other side. His look of confusion made her tilt her head slightly in her own confused look "What are you doing here Steven? I didn't know you were coming."

"I came in with-" Steven got excited but stopped as the lights flickered over head. Both of them looked up at the lights before Steven reached forward. He took Yellow's hand and pulled her down to whisper in her ear "I came in with the mermaids."

"The what?" Yellow pulled back and Steven could see the worry pass over her face followed by the slightest bit of panic "Steven... they don't exist-"

"Please don't tell me that." Steven said tugging on her hand "Please, I know there in there." He watched Yellow glance over her shoulder into the dark room behind her "I need to make sure there ok."

"Steven." Yellow bit her lip as the slight shaking of the floor reached them "Are they fighting again?"

"Yea."

"Then we, especially you, can't be here right now."

"But-"

"I'll bring you back when there not fighting ok?" Yellow took a few steps out of the room and kept Steven from seeing too far inside "If they catch us down here were going to be in a lot of trouble and Whinney will do something about it."

"But Yellow." Steen said holding her hand a bit tighter "I _need_ to know there ok. Please. I'm really worried about them."

Yellow looked back into the room. As she did Steven tried to lean forward but he couldn't see inside very far to his disappointment. She took a few seconds before looking back at him "There ok Steven."

"Is Pearl awake?" Steven asked looking up at her "The white one. She got really hurt at my house."

"She is." Yellow said as the faint sound of clicking came to Steven's ear "She's resting though."

"Now, before they find us not where were supposed to be, we need to move." Yellow said stepping out into the hallway and closing the big door behind her "I'll bring you back when it's safe."

She didn't let Steven get another word in as she held onto his hand tight and started pulling him down the hall. Steven whined as he glanced back at the door but he understood his cousins reasoning. Whinney could be harsh with her punishments when they got in trouble and had a few moments of whiplash come to the front of his mind. When he turned his gaze back to Yellow he squeezed her hand. "Yellow-"

"Shh." She shushed him as they came to the end of the hall. As the floor shook a bit more she glanced around the corner to see if anyone was there. Yellow knew that if they were caught roaming around they would get in trouble and wanted to avoid that. Her mothers were strict but understanding where as Whinney was very harsh. Her moms understood that Yellow couldn't be cooped up in her room all the time like a dog on a leash. Like any teenager she wanted to get out and see the world. They only problem was not only her blood line but what she could become. Whinney on the other hand did not care for how Yellow felt. She expected her niece to fall in line like a good little girl and do everything she was told and had no problem putting her back in her place after a miss step.

Yellow navigated them through the building quickly and into her room. Once inside she shut the door and leaned against it. Yellow's room was rather big. It was towards there launch bay, a few halls down. Her room was two offices that got turned into one with a huge master bathroom built off to the side. It was very secure and was on one of the most secure floors and everyone but Whinney had a room down here. The bottoms three floors were converted into a underground home of sorts and had kept Yellow here for most of her life. There sheltering of her, only going out ever so often to her little cousins house to visit, didn't stop her from finding her own ways out of the building. Her mothers knew this of course but just quietly told her to keep it secret from her aunt.

"Since there up in the office we should be safe to talk down here Steven." She said looking at her little cousin "What did you want to ask me anyway?"

"Why is you hair wet?" Steven asked looking at Yellow and crossing his arms "Were you helping them?"

Steven had noticed the second his cousin came into view that she was wet. Her hair was dripping water onto her shoulders and her cloths were a bit damp. Yellow always loved swimming and the water but had the habit of covering herself up like her mom Bella. She always had tights on under a floor length skirt. She would wear pretty shirts and tops of all kinds but never anything that would expose the skin of her legs. Even when they would swim together she would have her legs covered. _Always_. Steven had always asked her why and had stopped believing the excuse of getting sunburn easy after he turned 6. Especially when they would swim in the launch bay, the sun never shined into it.

"Yea...Yea I was." Yellow said thinking for a moment before speaking "The white one needed a bit of help getting into the tank of water in the room so I helped her."

"Jasper let you touch her?" Steven questioned surprised.

"Jasper?"

"The really big one." Steven said holding his arms out "She's a Guardian."

"She did." Yellow nodded. "She wasn't happy about it but she did."

"Did you ask permission first?"

"Permission?"

"You need to ask before touching them." Steven said looking a bit worried "Especially Pearl. Jasper doesn't like people touching her when she is hurt. Or at all really. She didn't even like me being across a lagoon from her the first time I met them."

"Oh... No I didn't" Yellow said looking off to the side and a bit confused "That explains why she was mad."

"But she was ok? They all are?"

Yellow smiled at the worry Steven was showing. He had always been a very loving and caring person as they grew up. It just became a stronger sense as time went on. She always liked how he was always positively thinking no matter what tended to happen. He was like his mom that way, who Yellow missed dearly.

"Yes Steven, there all ok." She pushed off the door and walked over to him, doing her best to bluff her way through this conversation. She didn't do more then talk to the aquatics but Steven didn't need to know that right now. "Do you want to build a blanket fort?" She watched as Steven looked past her to the door "I know you want to see them but we need to wait until my mom and auntie Whinney stop fighting to sneak back up there. They were already mad you walked in here with them. There gonna be more mad if they find you there now." She took Steven's hand and pulled him towards her bed "When everything settles will go sneak back up and see them. Maby even swim in the tanks with them!"

"Tanks? Like at the aquarium?" Steven sounded so confused as he followed Yellow's lead to start pulling blankets from her bed. Yellow had a lot more blankets then were normal for your average person to sleep with.

"You know how they have the huge tanks they keep the sharks in?"

"Yea."

"That's basically the same thing here. Only difference is that we have the power here to pull water from the sea into the tanks. Help take the old water out and put new water in."

"So its like being in the sea but without actually being in it."

"That's right."

Steven stopped pulling blankets and stopped following Yellow "So you keep them alive like fish in a tank. Like animals in a cage. They will never make it out of this huge building in time if they got out without someone's help."

Yellow paused.

"There trapped." Both cousins looked at each other. "...Why are they doing this?"

Steven's voice was so small and soft that it hurt Yellow to hear it prompting her to answer just as soft. "I don't know."

"What do they want with them?" As he asked, Yellow put the blankets down in her hands and went to kneel in front of her cousin.

"I don't know."

"There so nice." Steven said as Yellow took the blankets from him and took his hands "They were nice to me and Connie and I know they can be scary and I know there super strong but they never hurt us. They talked to us and let us help Pearl when she was hurt. Something really bad happened and they came to us for help. They trust us."

"That's really kind of them." Yellow said.

"Aunt Yevette hurt them so much when her and aunt Bella came to my house." Steven squeezed Yellow's hand's "They were so scared."

"Steven-"

Yellow was cut off by the sudden banging on her bedroom door. Both of them jumped as a voice came from the other side "Yellow? Hunny are you in there?"

Yellow sighed and quickly went over to her door and unlocked it. The second it was unlocked it flew open and Bella was standing on the other side.

"Thank God." Bella breathed out softly as she spied her nephew "Do you have any idea how worried we were that you disappeared Steven?"

"I'm sorry." Steven said.

"Well I'm happy your cousin found you and Yellow." Bella said glancing over her shoulder down the hall before coming into the room and shutting it behind her "I told you its not safe to be out of your room today."

"But Mum-"

"No buts." Bella placed her hands on her daughters shoulders and squeezed gently "When you set the sensors off in the pipe line both your mom and me got very scared. She was _right_ there and heard the alarm going off in my pocket." She pulled Yellow into her arms and held her close "Whinney can't find out Yellow."

"I know." She hugged her mom back "I'm sorry. I just get so cramped down here all the time. I can't help it."

"I know sweetie." Bella smiled "Your like me in that sense."

Steven stood there and listened to there conversation and felt a bit left out and confused. He knew Yellow had a strict up bringing here but he didn't realize she was just as restricted to walking around like he was. Even though it was her home Steven could see just how cooped up she was. He was also confused about her being in the room with the mermaids he still couldn't get in too.

"Your both talking like you were outside Yellow." They both looked at him coming out of there little bubble as he spoke "How did you get outside if you were with them?"

"Them?" Bella held her daughter out at arms lenth. It took only a few beats for a look of horror to pass her face "Yellow, you were in the _lab_ with them?"

"Yes but-"

_**Bang, bang, bang.** _

"Yellow."

"Don't tell your mother where you were." Bella whispered to the pair as Yvette came into the room.

"Do you have _any_ idea how worried we were about you." Yvette waisted no time in scolding her daughter as she shut her bedroom door behind her. The only thing that made her pause was the sight of her wife and Steven standing with her daughter. "Well, at least there's one problem solved. Why did you wonder off Steven? We got scared when we couldn't find you and after the pipe sensor." Yvette put her hands up as she crossed her arms.

"You guys started fighting." Steven said "I got worried when the building started to shake the louder you all got so I walked off to find Yellow and... I kinda got lost."

"I found him on my way back in." Yellow said softly "So I brought him back here. We got here only a few minutes before you both."

Yvette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking at her daughter and nephew. "I'm sorry we scared you Steven. We didn't mean too."

"I know." Steven said shrugging. "I'm used to it."

A slightly uncomfortable feeling filled the air for a few moments before Bella spoke up. "Are you both hungry?" She looked back at her wife then to the kids again "We can get you guys set up for the night after ok?"

"Wait." Steven went up quickly and grabbed the side of his aunts dress "What about Connie? Is she ok? Is she awake yet?"

"Steven-"

"Please Aunt Bella I have to see her! I promised to stay by her side and keep each other safe!" He tugged a bit "She _has_ to be ok."

Steven was sugar coating his words a bit and thought he was going to win when he pulled out his puppy dog eyes but Yvette put an end to that. Both of his aunts made it clear that his friend was ok and they would check on her when they had the chance later after Whinney calmed down from there fight earlier. It didn't take long for them to tell the kids to stay put and that they would be back. Before long they were left alone in Yellow's room and the sound of the lock on her door clicking into place softly sent a cold chill down Steven's spine. He looked to his cousin and he could see the look of hurt in her features. Steven gently took her hand and squeezed.

"Do they always lock the door?" He asked.

"Just in the last few weeks." Yellow said holding his hand back tight "Aunt Whinney has been acting very strange lately and there afraid for my safety."

"They were fighting with her when I left her office up stairs." Steven said "She was... colder then usual. Seemed more distant this time."

Yellow looked down at him then back at the door "Somethings wrong with her, gotten her full attention, and my moms are scared of what it is."

"Do you _know_ what it is?"

"No." Yellow shook her head "They have been trying to avoid her and keeping me as far from her as possible. More then usual."

Steven tugged on her hand and she smiled down at him. "I know what your going to ask Steven and we need to wait until my moms bring us food to try and get out ok?" He whined and she chuckled "C'mon, lets build this fort. I feel like somewhere soft and small will make everything just a little bit better."

**Inside the Lab**

Jasper's eyes didn't leave the ancient aquatics form until she shut the door behind her. As soon as it clicked shut her eyes darted down to her companion. The Guardian felt an immense pressure off her chest as Pearl was breathing on her own. Her steady breath on her neck helped her put her mind back into focus, helped her relax just a bit. She wasn't as worried now but still felt impatient in waiting for the smaller to wake up.

"Even all grown up, I'm still so small compared to you." The doctor said getting Jasper's attention. She mad no move to come around the table to get closer to the three. She was quite content holding her daughter close and staying where she was.

The Guardian looked her over and the corner of her mouth bent up in a small smerk. "Shark bate."

The Doctor gave a small smile in turn, happy the aquatic remembered her, even after all these years. "Thank you by the way." Jasper squinted at her in confusion as Sapphire leaned into her but looked around her at the doctor. Both aquatics regarded her curiously and the Doctor clarified. "For being with Steven and Connie when they came for you all. I fear they would of been a lot harsher if you all weren't together."

"They promised to keep us safe." Connie said a bit horse looking at Jasper as smiling "They were pretty cool."

"Considering your all alive and both kids came with you all you kept your word."

"I don't break a promise." Jasper said.

"For that I'm grateful." Priyanka said glancing up as a slight rumbled was felt through the floor. The mermaids looked up at the same time and they call became a bit more guarded as one of the lights flickered for just a moment. They looked to the doctor for an answer that she wasn't too willing to give. "The one who brought you here. Not Bella, her wife, that was from her and her sister fighting about three floors up."

"The shadow in White." Sapphire murmured as a low grumble left Jasper's throat. "The one who put a price on our freedom..."

"They don't get along at all." The Doctor said holding Connie a bit closer before putting her down. She hugged her a bit more before ushering her off to go to her dad. "But that's not important at the moment." She looked to the aquatics and slowly came around the table. "We need to get her ready."

"Ready?" Sapphire asked as Jasper barred her teeth a bit. She was grateful Pearl was coming around but was still very guarded. She couldn't fully begin to relax until her companion opened her eyes.

"If fighting Bella's wife was the last thing that happened before she fell unconscious she is going to wake up thinking there's still a fight going on." The doctor said coming within a few feet of them and no closer. They knew who she was but didn't know the extent of there trust with her. It has been _years_ since there last encounter when she was just a little girl and she didn't want to do or say anything that would bring her life to a sudden and quick death. Not here. "She is going to flail and hit whatever is closest to her, which will be you Guardian."

"I can take it." Jasper said a bit offended. She could take a hit! Getting punched by Pearl was nothing. Well, it wouldn't be the first time she has hit her _but_ it would be the first time she didn't disserve it. First time not playfully either come to think of it.

"That's not the _point_." Priyanka said crossing her arms "You need to be the first voice she hears to calm her down and the first person she sees. She needs your comforting and powerful arura. Your familiarity. The last thing we need is for the alarms to go off in here from her panic. The water in the tanks are monitored. If they water reacts in a none natural way its going to set off so many alarms."

"What happens if they go off?" Sapphire asked.

"It will get very loud in here with flashing lights and a lot more people will show up." The Doctor answered. "And this time they won't stop until your dead." She glanced back at her husband and daughter "No matter who is in the room."

The Larger aquatic looked down at her companions face then to there Reader. Sapphire was looking up at her with a gentle hand on her leg and a worried look on her face. She could feel the others pulling for her but right now she wasn't really pulling back. She was much more concerned with what was going on here and all there well beings more then the others right now. The only real connection she was pulling on was with her own companions. She curled up against the Guardian's leg in a comforting way. The need to be close was still strong and the need to be together was even stronger.

Jasper looked up and around the room before walking over to the closest table. She perched herself on top and adjusted Pearl to be sitting in her lap, Sapphire trailing close behind. She kept one arm tightly wrapped around her upper body as her other took her hands in her own. She always liked how slim her fingers were compared to her own. They were very small but full of power. She liked how nicely they fit in her missive ones.

The Doctor sat on the table across from the mermaids as Sapphire perched herself on the very edge of the table next to Jasper's leg. She wanted to be close to them but not in the way. She still was afraid of everything going on, they all were, but they felt better close together. Safety in numbers. Less fearful with them all in there line of sight, within reach. Once they were all situated the Doctor told the bigger aquatic to gently pull on her connection with her companion to help guide her back to the waking world. She didn't have to pull more then once before Pearl reacted.

Her companions eyes shot open and she almost launched out of Jasper's arms with a start. She loudly gasped in a breath of air and if it wasn't for Jasper's steal grip on her she would of hit both herself and Sapphire. There Reader jumped to her feet and scrambled across to the other table as Jasper quietly clicked in Pearl's ear, holding her as still as she could without hurting her.

To Pearl the world come back in a rush of white light followed by a lot of noise. She felt like she was pushed through a dark opening and back to the waking world. She felt Jasper pulling for her and something holding her. Her first reaction was to push whatever was touching her away. She was scared and when she moved, feeling restrained, she felt even more fear roll through her. There were a lot of sounds rushing into her ears as well. Beeping, clicking, white noise. It was too much all at once. Her head was pounding, her heart was racing, and she felt trapped.

'Pearl' Jasper clicked into the smaller ear. It hurt a lot to see the panic in the others eyes. She wasn't aware of where she was or that she was in her arms. She could feel the initial panic in Pearl's tug for her. 'Pearl take a breath. I'm right here'

Pearl closed her eyes tightly as she took another shaky breath. Her hands trembled and for a moment she thought she was going to pass back out from everything attacking her senses all at once. She forced a few breaths into her lungs before slowly forcing herself to open her eyes. After letting her eyes adjust to the light the first thing she saw was a thick curtain of white hair. The second was her companion clicking in her ear. The feeling of herself being held right against her. She could feel the heat radiating off the bigger aquatic and the feeling of protection and comfort rolling off the Guardian's shoulders. The waves of familiarity and the strings of connection holding them together filled her and helped bring her back own to reality. It helped push her mind back in order faster then if she had woken up alone with each beat of the Guardian's heart she could feel through her form.

Jasper was very happy when Pearl opened her eyes and looked up at her. They didn't say anything as they took a moment to themselves and put there foreheads together. They both could feel the relive washing over the other at there presence in that moment. They tugged on there connection for pure comfort and this made another thing register to the smaller.

'Ow' Pearl clicked out after a moment. Jasper looked at her funny but Pearl flexed her fingers in Jasper's grip and the Guardian quickly let go, forgetting she was holding her hands rather tightly.

'Sorry' The bigger mumbled.

'I feel like I was caught in a rip tied' Pearl mumbled before wrapping her arms around Jasper's shoulders quickly, everything coming back into her mind 'Oh! Are you ok? What happened?! The kids! We-'

'Pearl, Pearl slow down' Jasper clicked holding her tight to herself. 'I'm ok. Were ok. Not safe, but ok'

Sapphire quietly slipped onto the floor and slowly took a step towards the pair. She felt left out a bit. Not in a jealous way but more in a need to be close to them. The feeling of not being right next to them making her a bit anxious. Jasper looked at her and opened an arm invitingly. She could see the smallers worry on her face and the way she clasped her hands together in front of her. Sapphire took the invitation and quickly climbed up onto there table and threw her arms around the tallers shoulder. She was so relived Pearl was awake she let out small clicks and breaths of happiness.

'Not safe? What- Sapphire!' Pearl looked to there Reader and hugged her tightly. She felt so secure in her companions arms and having the Reader there surprised and comforted her a bit more. 'How did you get here? Where are we?'

'We came looking for you both after Bismuth answered my call for help.' Sapphire clicked 'We got just off shore to the lagoon and we were hiding in that old shit but then I saw people coming. They had found us. They only took me and they didn't see the others'

'We were brought here after they knocked you out' Japer half clicked half growled.

'How did we get here? Where _is_ here?' Pearl asked.

"You were brought in via tanker." The doctor spoke up getting all eyes on her. "The ones who attacked you attacked us too." She looked back at her family to see Doug holding Connie tightly and her daughter smiling brightly up at him. They both had misty eyes and she was happy her family was together at least. "Steven is here somewhere but I'm not sure where."

'Steven...' Pearl clicked slowly 'Is he ok?'

"From what we know yes." She answered "They won't let him come in here though."

For the first time Pearl got a good look around the room. It made her flinch and lean into the Guardian who held both smaller aquatics a bit closer. Pearl clicked lightly in confusion with a bit of worry mixed in. The room was very unsettling to her at first but soon things came back into her mind and she recognized the tanks. The way she looked at them had the doctor question her "You know what those are?"

Pearl silent nod made them uncomfortable. 'That was made for me...' She slowly looked the tank over as she slightly tucked her head under Jasper's chin.

'For when you were to be given?' Sapphire asked.

Pearl nodded 'It's designed so that fresh water from the sea is brought in and the old water brought out'

"So you never have to worry about returning to the open ocean." The Doctor said the same time Jasper started growling again "Essentially keeping you prisoner here forever."

This angered the Guardian and made the Reader lean into the other more in trying comfort. How dare they treat her companion like a minnow! They weren't meant to be kept in tanks. They were supposed to live in the sea. Not as some freaks prized pet! Jasper just huffed and puffed trying to remain level headed but the sound of a sudden buzzing followed by two flashed of red lights from one of the machines had everyone flinch.

"Quickly." The Doctor said slipping off the table and walking over to one of the computers next to the tanks. "I know this is all a lot to take in but you three need to get in the tanks, quickly."

'Why?' Sapphire clicked before Jasper could tell the doctor, as nicely as she could, to get bent.

"That alarm was from one of the pipes leaded out of here and into the sea. Something hit the grate and I think I know who is coming up it and into here." The Doctor said while typing on the computer. The Guardian snapped her teeth together in warning as a hissing should came from the top of two of the tankers. There lids slowly opened and the smell of salt water filled the room. The three aquatics instinctually leaned towards the water, the salt and sea calling to them. "I know that you don't want to any more then me but you three need to get in the tanks."

"No." Jasper's gaze was ridged as she held the smallers closer to her person.

"I won't close the tops all the way." The doctor said "But you _need_ to get in them."

"Priyanka-"

"Please, if either of those Elementals come in here and see us all out there going to do things much worse to us then they did before." She said glancing past the three to look at her husband and daughter. The pair were arm in arm but watching them. She could see the worry on there faces and the fear on her husbands. They barley survived the White sisters attack on there home. She figured the only reason they weren't killed was what she had said into her phone when they caught them. She knew who her daughter was with and that scared her more then anything. She knew everything about them and then some. "I can't speak for you but I'm pretty sure your in the same boat as us in this. You are in no condition to fight them right now."

The mermaids looked at the doctor for a bit more before Pearl began to move. She slowly got to her feet but didn't move out of Jasper's grip on her form any more then her own to there Reader. 'What do we need to do?'

'Pearl'

'We don't have a choice' Pearl clicked at her Companion with a pleading look in her eyes 'She's right. We can't survive another attack and I won't lose you, either of you'

Jasper whined a bit through her growls but didn't argue. She hated that Pearl was right and hated even more that they had to do what they were told. She didn't want her far from her side. She didn't want either of them out of arms reach. They were still in danger, in a bad place, and it was driving her a bit nuts. She knew the pod was looking for them. They must of gotten close by now. This alone had her even more on edge. Being close was weaved into there very beings but following that pull, that instinct, right no was going to be fatal.

It sucked.

"Guardian, you need to go into the single tank over there." Priyanka said pointing to the stand alone tank before looking at the two smaller "You both go in the big tank but stay in the two tubes in front for right now ok?"

"We can't be together?" Sapphire asked.

"Not until after they come and see that your locked up." The Doctor said "After I can let you back out ok? Or at the very least open the connections to the big tank so you can all be together."

'Will be separated long?' Pearl asked not moving from where she was standing.

"Hopefully nut but you'll be able to still see each other." Priyanka said "Quickly now."

Pearl let out a few clicks of uncomfortableness as she slowly made her way over to the tank closest to herself. There Reader and Guardian were right behind her as they came right to the front of the tank. It took just a few minutes but soon Pearl and Sapphire were in the two tanks with the Guardian standing right outside of them. Both Pearl and Jasper placed there hands on the glass, being as close as they could with a half smile from Pearl, before the Guardian turned away. Priyanka set Jasper up in the last tank and and quickly went back to her family in the cage.

The tubes weren't small but they weren't spacious either. They were a bit cramped but not constricting. Pearl could put her back against the tube and stretch her arms out to touch the other side and they could float up and down without being bent in funny angles. They couldn't swim in a circle or do a back flip but they could at least move. It was better then nothing. Well, lets be fair. The two smallers could move but the Guardian was a bit more cramped up. The tube she was in wasn't designed for an aquatic of her size. She had maby an inch or two from either shoulder before glass. If she raised her arms out in front of her, due to her generous size and form, she couldn't really stretch them far out from herself. She was a bit more uncomfortable then the other two. Even more so when she realized she was almost on the other side of the room from her Companion and Reader. She could still see them. It was better then nothing but boy was she unhappy about it.

It didn't take long for a grate in the big tank to move. The sound of it moving drew the aquatics attentions first, the shifters following there gaze soon after. Both Sapphire and Pearl sank down in the water as the grate opened. They couldn't hide in these tubes so they tried to make themselves a small as possible.

They watched the grate open and a bright yellow mermaid come into view. The aquatics were a bit taken back as they watched this young mermaid move. She wasn't familiar to them. No, they knew all the solo roamers in the seas, even the occasional Siren from the deep depths around the world. This one was so bright and such an eye catcher in color. Her tail had no real pattern or design to it and she was half adorned with human clothing. She couldn't of been from any pods in the seven seas. Every pod, every mermaid aside from Pearl, had patters or markings adorned on there forms in some way to show where they had come from. It could be anything like a pretty pattern on there tails or across there skin in different colors but this one had nothing. Just a pale completion and a tail the color of the sun on a clear day. There was no way she was from the sea. She was an entirely new aquatic and the three weren't sure what to make of her.

They silently watched as she swam out of the grate and closed it behind her. They couldn't see how she locked it back into place but soon she was swimming up to the top of the tank. As she neared the top she stopped and to everyone's surprise she closed her eyes for a few moments and glowed bright. Two legs soon formed and she swan up and broke the waters surface. She climbed out of the tank and jumped down to the floor, completely startling Sapphire who was closest to her, and quickly stepping off towards the side of the tank. The Reader let off small clicks as warning as the unknown mermaid was doing something out of sight.

Pearl soon joined in with her own warning clicks as the mermaid came back into sight. They quickly noticed that she covered her body the same way the Ancient did. Something long an flowy hid her legs and any part of her that would of adorned scales. It was really only her legs that were covered up which was just as strange. If they didn't see her come out of the tank themselves and form legs from a tail they would never of know at first glance she was one of them. It was only after Jasper started a low growl did she look towards the tanks "Woah!"

She must of jumped a foot back in surprise and then backed up even further when the two smaller aquatics flinched at her sudden movement, Jasper swimming a bit up to get a clear line of sight with the unknown. As the Guardian's eyes started to glow a deep orange the mermaids eyes grew bigger and she back up more. "Your just as scary as the other one."

'The other... Garnet?' Sapphire clicked more to herself.

"Is that her name?" The unknown said getting a surprised look from the Reader.

'You can understand me?' She asked as Pearl spoke up behind her. 'You saw Garnet?'

The unknown nodded slowly "She came out of no where and scared me when I was talking to the blue one outside."

'Blue?' Pearl swam up just a bit and put her hands on the glass 'Are they both here? Where are they?'

"Yellow?" All the Aquatics turned to the shifters in the cage as Connie spoke up.

"Connie!" The unknown smiled and quickly made her way over to the cage. Connie got to her feet and came right to the bars before her mom could get a good grip on her to hold her back. Both Yellow and Connie hugged each other through the bars. "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok." Connie smiled up at her then frowned "But your mom sure packs a punch."

"My... did you come in with them?" Yellow pointed over her shoulder to the tubes and the aquatics inside clicked a bit offended. "H-How did my mom find you? I never said anything about what you are to them."

"Well, I was with Steven and-"

"Steven?" Yellow's face dropped and the mermaids didn't have to see her face to feel the unease from the unknown. "Is... Is he here too?"

"Yea. We both came in with them but I wasn't awake. Dose he know about?" Connie pointed to Yellow's legs and she quickly shook her head.

"He has no clue." Yellow answered.

"It's pretty cool." Connie said "Why didn't you tell him?"

Yellow went to answer but a sudden banging on the door to the room made them all jump. All eyes turned to the door and a familiar voice started calling out to them. As Steven banged on the door Yellow quickly made her way over to it. the aquatics in the tubes looked hopefully at the door as Yellow unlocked it and opened it just enough to peak out into the hall. The prospect of seeing Steven made two of them feel slightly better. Knowing he was at least walking around and basically yelling through a door to them meant he wasn't hurt. Or, so they hoped.

They could hear him talking to Yellow. He sounded so worried about them and he was very adamant about wanting to come in, or at the very least, see them. Yellow was blocking his view into the room and it slightly annoyed the Guardian and worried the Protector. For there promise they wanted to at least physically see him. From there personal experience anyone could mimic another's voice if they were well versed in the art. When they clicked this out to the mermaid at the door they got irritated and more worried as she stepped out into the hall. She only glanced back at them for a moment at the lights flickered and she shut the door behind her, locking it in place.

Jasper growled loud for a moment as her companion clicked out 'Why did she keep him out of here?'

'The Elemental thinks we'll hurt him' Jasper clicked back frowning at the door.

'That's obscured' Pearl clicked out offended 'If _anything_ we would hurt her first if it came down too it'

The Guardian smerked at her comment as Sapphire slightly smiled. Pearl always had a spark of sass and fight in her ever since they both met her. No matter what title or name was stuck to her she always acted out of place and on her own. In her own way she dominated the seas and the way she acted and just was, was one of the reasons she ended up becoming the head of there pod. She wasn't fully bound to there laws like the rest of them were. She was made as a present to a monster. This meant her up bringing didn't involve there culture and rules too much. They weren't too heavy of an influence on her person as it was to the others who were taught each in there original pods ways and paths. They didn't want Pearl being influenced by there culture too much so when she was supposed to be given to the ones here so long ago, she wouldn't be able to tell them much about her species.

She helped the pod survive all these years and unintentionally, helped them grow beyond there limits that were forced upon them.

"Are you guys ok?" There eyes turned to Connie as she quickly unlocked the cage after asking her mother if it was alright. She was told to be quick but was given a yes. Once it was open she silently shut it behind her and quickly but gently walked over to the tubes. She went right up to Pearl's after asking Jasper if it was ok. She got a stiff nod as an answer "How are you feeling?"

'Like I've been swimming against a rip tide but I'm alright' Pearl clicked sinking down to sit on the bottom of the tube to be close to Connie. She clicked a bit louder then she wanted too but she was speaking through water and the small gaps from the open tube tops. 'Are you ok?'

Connie nodded with a smile at her then Jasper "She was really good a fighting. You both were! And you almost won!" Connie was getting a bit too excited, the aquatics flinching slightly at the volume but didn't really want to stop her excitement. "I'm happy your both ok."

'You were roughed up like her' Jasper clicked 'You got fight in you furball. Tougher then I thought you were'

Connie smiled wide and both her parents chuckled slightly. They had herd what had happed to the three of them at Steven's house while being transported here. If it wasn't for Connie being a shifter like them she would of died from being shocked so harshly. A normal person would of died but Connie was more resilient with shapeshifter blood running through her veins. The perks of being a supernatural.

_**Thunk, thump** _

The sound of the door being unlocked made them jump. It was too soon for the Ancient and the unknown to be back. This left only one other option.

'Hide' Pearl clicked looking down at Connie.

Connie nodded looking back at her then around the room. She wasn't sure where to go. She was too far from the cage to get back inside safely before whoever was coming through that door came in so she turned towards the Guardian. As fast as she could she ran over to the big aquatic and hid under the desk that was slightly past and behind her tube. Just as she disappeared from sight the door to the room opened. Jasper let out a deep growl with glowing eyes as Sapphire clicked in immense warning. Pearl just froze in silent terror against the back of the tube as the person coming into the room looked around and then smiled.

"Hello my dear." Whinney said "It's been such a long time."

**Outside the building, ocean side**

Greg was startled as the pod started to come up onto the boat one by one. He quickly helped them on board as he asked what was going on.

"Seems like the security on the ocean side is pretty dang good." Bismuth said from the water as she helped Ruby up onto the boat who then turned and helped up Peridot then Lapis.

"Why is the alarm going off?" Greg said "What happened?"

"There was a mermaid in a pipe in the rock wall." Blue said gently as she was pulled onto the boat followed by Amethyst.

"Was she trapped?" Peridot asked "Dose she know about the others?"

"She said they were inside." Blue said as they all helped Bismuth onto the boat. "Pearl wasn't awake but there all here."

"Is she hurt?" Amethyst asked as Garnet was the last to be pulled up. The Guardian was too focused on the direction of the pipe and building to really think about her own safety. She almost turned and snapped at Amethyst and Bismuth as they reached down and dragged her out of the water. She was more focused of the threat coming for them then actually hiding. She wanted to see what the threat was and exactly where it was coming from much more then hiding or running in that moment.

"Garnet scared her away before I could ask." Blue said gently.

"She's an unknown and put her hands on you." Garnet said through a tight jaw as her eyes stayed on the waters surface. "You were in danger."

"But-"

"Safety in numbers." She half snapped half growled "Stronger together."

Blue flinched but wasn't upset. Garnet was acting on instinct. On the need to protect. She wasn't being cruel or harsh with her or any of them even though she very much sounded that way. Guardian's in general were very loud with commanding voices. She was just doing her duty and following her instinct. Blue was foolish to go off alone in an area marked dangerous for them. She should of swam away when she saw the other mermaid but she didn't. The Guardian was letting her fill her curiosity but it got dangerous in her eyes. Garnet did what any Guardian would have and got her to safety and out of immediate danger. Danger that was now coming for them. Well, if it could find them.

Greg looked over the boats railing as two red lights glowed under the oceans surface. They came from the direction the building did and it didn't take long for him to figure out what they were. "Oh boy. They sent out Roaming eyes."

"Roaming eyes?" Peridot looked at him confused as Bismuth looked over the railing quickly.

"Damn monstrosities." The exiled mermaid said quickly backing up out of there sight.

"What are they?" Lapis asked as they all started looking over the railing.

"There used to find creatures like us." Bismuth said as Garnet snapped at them to get back with a few warning clicks. "There meant to find and hunt down our kind."

They watched as the roaming eyes wondered around the area in front of the boat. They moved back and forth in a sweeping patter absolutely covering the whole area on there directed path for whatever it was they were looking for, which was more then likely every aquatic on the boat. They started off in a small area but quickly started moving away from the cliff face and out into a wider area in the water. The moment one of them circled a bit too close for the Guardian's liking she couldn't help it. She let out a _very_ loud growl.

Two things happened as she did this. Bismuth quickly stepped up and yanking Garnet back as Greg looked at her in horror. The Roaming eyes did a quick 180 and started towards the boat to there horror. Amethyst and Ruby pushed the others towards the center of the boat and Bismuth pulled Garnet back, basically restraining her with just one arm while covering her mouth with her other hand. She was very _very_ lucky the Guardian didn't immediately turn around and attack her. She was putting her self in extreme danger, getting in the way of Garnet's need to protect her pod but she knew what she was doing. She had stepped in with good and bad results in front of Guardian's before. Bismuth knew what she was doing, even if it was foolish and dangerous.

'Shut the Poseidon up or there going to find us' She clicked low in the Guardians ear without letting her go.

She could feel Garnet breathing heavily and rapidly against her hand as they all stood as still as possible. There was so much practiced restraint in this moment. Every cell in Garnet's brain was telling her to attack the roaming eyes. To tear them apart peace by peace until they were no longer a threat. She had been caught by these things before and getting away from one without being found or attacked by whatever was controlling them was near impossible. The only way she found to survive these were to destroy them then swim as fast as you could in the opposite direction.

This is where her and Jasper differed from each other as Guardians. Jasper would of straight attacked these without question or a second thought but Garnet new better. She had just a bit more control over the sense in her core then the bigger to hold back. To watch and observe. She could feel the others fear behind her and the look of concern from Greg. She needed to hold back and to as much rational thought as she could. For the pods safety. They were never going to find there missing three if she acted out and got them all caught. She couldn't protect them all alone. Not out here in unfamiliar territory and not out numbered like they currently were.

Greg watched the pods fear and concern as the roaming eyes moved closer to the boat. He could see the Guardian getting worked up and the bigger one holding her getting annoyed, looking over the edge to the water nervously. Greg knew he had to do something to help. As they got right to the front of the boat and started to scan it Greg moved. He quickly went o the front of the boat and hung off the side closest to the cliff face.

"What are you doing?" Lapis hissed as they watched Greg move.

"Buying some time." He answered as he stuck his hand into the water. He wiggled his fingers in the water and quickly got himself scanned from the eyes. "Hey!" He watched as the eyes popped out of the water just enough to scan his face, which made him flinch and close his eyes uncomfortably "C'mon guys! I need to be able to see."

The older two of the aquatics went stiff as a voice came over a scratchy radio signal to speak to Greg. The rest of the pod flinched away and got very close to the Guardian and outcast at this. The older two recognized the voice and it scared then deep down.

"Greg, what are you doing out here?" The cool voice said to him through the roaming eye "We have a front door."

"Oh, no." He said pointing a finger "I know you wouldn't of let me in the front door."

"Your not completely wrong."

"I want my son!"

"Steven?"

"Don't play dumb with me Whinney." Greg said sternly in a voice that wasn't like him at all "We've been over this. You can't just come and take Steven whenever you want! It's illegal! And you ruined my carwash! The whole wash part is ruined!"

"Come now Greg." Whinney said over the radio to him "Steven is here and he is _fine_ and you need to get a real house for him to live in anyway or just let him live with us."

"Never."

"Don't be unreasonable Greg."

"I want my son and I want to see him now!"

"You can, but after you tell the ones on your boat to surrender peacefully."

"There _is_ no one on my boat." Greg snapped. "Don't you dare start about your crack pot theory's and illusions about aquatic beauties again. There not real."

"Greg-"

"We've been over this!"

There was a pause and this worried all of them. The mermaids became fearful the moment Whinney pointed them out. That she knew they were here but Greg was good. He was acting very annoyed and irritated and for those in the pod who got to know him a bit when Rose was still around knew he was pulling this all out of his butt. He was such a squishy push over and it was taking a lot for none of them to let him do this.

There was a long pause before the boat rocked forward.

"Very well." Whinney's voice said as eh boast started moving around the cliff side "Will bring you in. Hold tight."

As the roaming eye disappeared under the water Greg looked back to the mermaids.

"I hope you have a plan." Bismuth said slowly letting go of Garnet but still covered her mouth. She trusted the Guardian to not loose her cool but not to be quiet. She didn't fight her about her hand.

"That was my plan." He said.

"That was it?" Lapis snapped as the boat slowly started to drift around the corner of the cliff face. the building came into view and they were in awe and fear. The building was huge, tall, and sitting way high up on this cliff. At least 40 feet from sea level, giant spot light scanned the waters surface and illuminated the water below. Blue suddenly felt very lucky that those lights hadn't seen her when she was right under them just a bit ago. In the cliff face below two huge bay doors were slowly being pulled up, revealing a giant boat dock within the stone and rocks of the cliff. "I hope you have a better plan then _that_."

"Nope." Greg said as the boat started drifting forward towards the dock "I got nothin."

"Well you better think fast." Lapis snarled as Ruby growled next to her "Otherwise were about to become fish bate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I had SUCH a hard time writing this chapter down. I was stuck on how to tie all three parts together but I think I did a decent job.  
> The part with Greg and the Pod is super short because I wanted to try and portray that everything going on in this chapter is basically almost happening at the exact same time. Also that Greg and the pod are arriving around the end of the first two parts. basically that they arrived at the building after Yellow had left with Steven to go back to her room & didn't want to write too much on there part and put them much further along in the story then where I had the others. I didn't want to re-type everything they said for each part so I took some fuzzy liberties I hope weren't too lost in translation.


End file.
